September 27, 2017, Prescott-
NOTE: The title term refers to a tree, planted at a terminus of a road, in ancient Arabia. It could signify either an ending or a beginning.
What, exactly, is a barrier?
Which is the beginning, and which, the ending?
I recall that every walk around Saugus began at our back door.
So, too, did every journey end there.
My formal education began in September, 1956, at the Felton School.
It ended in August, 1987, when I completed my administrative credential, at Northern Arizona University.
My time as a Roman Catholic began with my baptism.
It ended with my declaration as a member of the Baha’i Faith.
Now, I live in an apartment, in Prescott, Arizona; work as a teacher aide, at Prescott High School; am a devoted adherent to the Teachings of Baha’u’llah.
Do I still consider Saugus a place in my heart?
Am I still learning?
Do I still revere Jesus the Christ?
In each case, the answer will always be “Yes”.
Will I not again travel?
Will I close my mind to new ideas?
Will I turn aside from the Creator?
In each case, “No”.
What, exactly, is a barrier?
It occurs to me, that each barrier is a self-imposed ending.
It is my belief that barriers need not be endings, but may be obstacles or hurdles to be overcome. Maybe self-imposed, yes, but not endings!
Obstacles and hurdles exist along our path, to strengthen us. Endings, in an infinite universe, are the flip side of beginnings.
I cannot imagine a world in which you are not traveling, learning, and sharing.
They will each be part of my life, in some form or another, until this life’s end- and in the next.
Well, I believe it is your own destiny and what you learn in life. The Bahai faith may be providing you what you want..
The Baha’i Faith is providing me what I need. Want is an illusion.
Great writing, Gary. There is so much unspoken that comes through. Barriers, indeed. I’ve erected one a time or two. Travel…Chesterton used to say he always meant to write a story about sailing from England and discovering…England. I often think I will steal that idea.
Recall the ending of “Gulliver’s Travels”, in which Lemuel is washed up on the very beach from which he sailed, without realizing it.
I love learning new words/thoughts/ideas…& this is a wonderful piece.
(Neil Douglas-Klotz does some wonderful work, translating Aramaic. It occurs to me you might enjoy. I discovered my mother’s copy of Blessings of the Cosmos – Wisdom of the heart from the Aramaic words of Jesus.)
Thanks, Kim. I will definitely look into that, as my Fall reading time increases with the dark.