A Quest
Another week of the Loose Blogging consortium our members include Anu, Ashok, Conrad, Gaelikaa, Ginger Haag, Grannymar Helen, Judy, Magpie 11, Maria, & Ramana. For various reasons there may be a couple of absentees this week.
Our topic was chosen by Ginger
Quest
From the moment I discovered our topic for today a song has been running through my head.
In this song composed by Mitch Leigh, the lyrics are by Joe Darion for Man of La Mancha, Quixote explains his quest and the reasons behind it
To dream … the impossible dream …
To fight … the unbeatable foe …
To bear … with unbearable sorrow …
To run … where the brave dare not go …
To right … the unrightable wrong …
To love … pure and chaste from afar …
To try … when your arms are too weary …
To reach … the unreachable star …
This is my quest, to follow that star …
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far …
To fight for the right, without question or pause …
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause …
And I know if I’ll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I’m laid to my rest …
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach … the unreachable star …
Well, I am not a man, or scorned and covered with scars, but that should not prevent me from having courage to reach for an unreachable star. Now which star would it be……
I was never one to chase rainbows( although a rainbow chased us one day) or travel the world in search of treasure like Santiago, a young shepherd in Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist. First written in Portuguese and translated to into 67 languages, I never actually saw why it was thought to be such a wonderful book. Why wander the world for what is right there on your own doorstep? I had spent my early life listening to the phrase ‘The grass is greener far away’!
It is not you know, hop over the stile and if you look at the grass with open seeing eyes…. it will be the same. The colour comes from within your heart. I am happy for my heart to lie peaceful and calm as I enjoy the important things in life - my family and friends!
Rummuser said,
January 8, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Beautiful. I have been called Don Quixote on many occasions. You must be able to figure out why! What I shall now offer you is my readiness to be your Sancho Panza whenever you want to be quixotic! I bet that there will be a host of others willing to do that as well.
Nancy said,
January 8, 2010 at 4:16 pm
WELL DONE, GRANNYMAR !!!!!!!!
Nick said,
January 8, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Indeed, the quest for your own self and the inner serenity therein, is the most important task. If you try to find the meaning of life by running round the world all you will find is yourself.
MountainWoman Silver said,
January 8, 2010 at 5:34 pm
What a wonderful reminder to appreciate where one is and what one already has. After retiring from my day job on November 21, 2009, I have still heaped new projects and tasks on my own plate often causing stress and irritability as I try to accomplish my self-imposed regimen. Making and reaching goals is so ingrained in me, I cannot imagine permitting myself to let each day unfold out of my control. My impossible dream is allowing myself to relax. Here’s to 2010!
gaelikaa said,
January 8, 2010 at 6:37 pm
That’s great. I always feel that you should enjoy being where you are now. Otherwise, nothing will satisfy you wherever you go. If that doesn’t sound too nebulous and confusing…..
Darlene said,
January 8, 2010 at 7:21 pm
When we search for happiness in other places we soon learn that nothing has changed, because we take our troubles and attitudes with us. You are wise to know that home is where the heart is and that is where we find our joy.
Baino said,
January 8, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Still banging my head on windmill sales here . . maybe at some stage, they’ll knock some sense into me!
Grannymar said,
January 8, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Ramana - I will remember when I am feeling impulsive.
Nancy - You have landed! I hope it is warmer in Florida.
Nick - As the years have gone by I have become very comfortable in my own skin, and realise the important things in life.
MountainWoman Silver - Once you relax, life becomes easier.
Gaelikaa - I know several people who plan, plan and plan for the future while forgetting to live for today.
Darlene - If we are not at home in our hearts we will not be at home anywhere.
Maria said,
January 9, 2010 at 12:01 am
When I first moved to the desert and was terribly discontent with all the brown around me, I found a little poster that read,” Bloom where you are planted.” It made me smile with its words of wisdom.
As Darlene so succinctly said in the comment above, we take our troubles and attiutude with us. Yes, knowing that home is where the heart is is most important.
Ramana, there are many who are willing to line up behind Grannymar to be Sancho Panza to your Don Quixote
Conrad said,
January 9, 2010 at 12:21 am
Marvelous, GM. Does this mean your quest is within the moment? Do you seek only to appreciate here and now more fully? Then consider it shared.
Judy Harper said,
January 9, 2010 at 1:56 am
Wow! After traveling halfway around the world and looking elsewhere for a while, I can agree with you about the “grass being greener in other pastures”, it’s not, actually, look for your treasures “in your own backyard!” Good post Grannymar!
Ginger said,
January 9, 2010 at 3:50 am
It’s funny that I’m in my mid-thirtues, married with child, and house - have achieved what some might call The American Dream - and am still incredibly antsy. I hope that one day I can find peace, rest, and contentment in whatever ‘place’ I’m in, but for now I’m running 90 to nothing, chasing rainbows as you call it. I know the attempts are futile, that whatever I need is already in me.. and still I run.
I tried to be still once. It didn’t take.
(sigh) Someday I’ll learn.. or drop.
Lovely, lovely post.
Grannymar said,
January 9, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Maria - ” Bloom where you are planted” - I love that idea.
Conrad - I remember one long difficult and sleepless night, asking myself “What will I do if…”? It was the wrong question since the ‘if’ was inevitable, the real question should have been “What will I do when….
Once I accepted that fact my life took on a whole new outlook and I lived for each precious moment.
Judy - I guess we all did a bit of travelling in one way or another over the years.
Ginger - The time will come. Thank you for the topic.
Magpie11 said,
January 9, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Don Quixote….. I never realised that that song was connected with that character… it was just a song. Makes me think about DQ in a different light…I’m afraid it will lose its humour for me now.
He did take himself seriously though I suppose. We shall see.
Grannymar said,
January 9, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Magpie - There was a time when I knew every song and line from Man of La Mancha. I loved the days, weeks, months we put into rehearsals.
Magpie11 said,
January 9, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Ah! Now I see….yet another talent disclosed.
Grannymar said,
January 10, 2010 at 1:18 am
Magpie, it was many lifetimes ago.