To The Ends of the Earth
In the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter, a man living within the context of a mundane, everyday life is called to action when he decides to embark on a journey to find a roll of film- but most importantly, the true values of a life lived without fear. As humans, we always want more. The standard for better seems to be more- clothes, cars, shoes, and even food. Yet some people challenge that with hope of revealing a richer meaning of life. In this story of a man seeking more is a quote that captures the essence of his dreams, and maybe yours too. "To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life." So what can this story of a man living more in his head than on the earth teach us about the importance of traveling and exploring?
Life is meant for living, not just wishing.
We often can live a glorious and brave life in our heads and forget about the opportunities we have, the places we can go.
Life is meant for going beyond our comfort zone.
In 1271, Journalist and explorer Marco Polo went alongside his parents to China, where he reveled in the adventure. Polo's family would travel through the Middle East and experience harsh territories. Polo recounted the sights, smells, and memories of his trip in his writings. He wrote of how difficult their travels were and the long deserts they crossed. At the end of their four year trek, Marco Polo and his family settled at the house of Kublai Khan, a marble mansion. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Mitty travels to Greenland, Iceland, and beyond. Yet, a reoccuring theme is that adventure is not limited to other countries, but begins right where you are. Mitty dreams each day of extravagant things, yet fails to make those daily adventures happen. Just as John Muir said, "Few places in this world are more dangerous than home. Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call fourth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action."
"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life."
How can everyday dreaming
become everyday adventuring?
38