Blog 2626 – 01.06.2023

Travel Is The Traveler

On October 4th, 1957 the Russians surprised the world by launching the first man-made satellite. They named it Sputnik which literally means, “traveling companion.” I was six years old at the time, yet still recall how I and the whole world seemed to be fascinated by this feat that launched the race to outer space, to the moon and beyond.

My first Australian friend Andrew James Mitchell, commenting on my blog sign-off referred to me as Spudnik. Originally I signed off each blog with just “Your fellow traveler” which soon evolved into the longer “Your friend and fellow traveler” both of which were always meant to represent the even wordier “Your friend and fellow traveler through time and space.” That is how I see us all, not as enemies nor even as competitors but as traveling companions. Even those who spend most of their time in an easy chair are still whirling through time and space on this beautiful spinning big blue solar satellite called earth.

The words of woman’s lament in song that she had been all around the world but never to herself came to mind when I read today’s picture quote above. All that we see without is merely a reflection of what we are within, “Travel is the traveler.” As I wrote yesterday I believe that this and every journey is to teach us to see the highest and best in others, ourselves, and everything.

In one of my favorite poems, High Flight, a British World War One pilot describes the ecstatic experience of flight thusly:

Whether we look to the stars or deep within we are not alone. Another poet many years before the young pilot wrote:

Whether we ever discover intelligent life on other planets or find the “God particle” in a super super microscope or not we are not alone, never have been, nor ever will be.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yp5iAetoqThq7i9Inlr-AhHKmmdYYnG1/view?usp=drivesdk

Rewrite The Stars