Goin Places That I've Never Been

Jason Mraz is a country music singer, and a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. When asked to pick a song that described his most memorable year he chose a Willie Nelson song. He said he was driving across Texas when Willie came on the radio singing "On the Road Again" and he pushed replay the entire trip to Nashville. Jason said it was his motivational song to start a new singing career. The line he associated the most with was, "Goin places that I've never been". 

Willie apparently wrote this song very quickly on a barf bag in 1980, for the film "Honeysuckle Rose". It was about life on the road in which Willie had the leading role. He starred as an aging musician who fails to achieve fame. 

Clearly, this song for Willie was about a singing career. As Jason passionately spoke about how going places you have never been, has a big impact on us and how our life can unfold because of it.  

I recently had lunch with a very good friend. She was sharing the health journey she was on with her husband. She said, "how did we get here?" They are goin places they have never been. Having a loved one ill means an incredible number of tests, doctor appointments and treatment. It also means worry, tears, frustration, hope, despair and the list of emotions never ends. Putting your fate in someone else's hands, must feel like losing control of your life. To trust a system and strangers is something that most of us are not familiar with. I said to my friend, "you just want your old life back". When life gets derailed, you just crave your old life and your normal again. 

When things get tough, many people turn to prayer. I had a moment of true understanding when I heard a woman explain her meaning of, "let go and let God". She went on to say, that many don't understand that when you turn it over to God, that doesn't mean it is the end of it. It means that you must listen to him to direct you and follow his wisdom.  

When I have something upsetting happen to me, I seem to talk about it until it gets easier to accept. This is where I insert really really good friends and listeners. Good listening friends empathize, they never interrupt you, they don't tell you what to do, they just feel your emotion with you.

As we age, going places we've never been is downright scary. It is now harder to plan a trip, not to mention being on the actual trip. I love the Dalai Lama quote, "once a year go somewhere you've never been before". I have friends that travel a lot and that is what they do, go someplace new. They have a list of places they want to visit, and they do. I refer to that group of people as the ones that never really unpack their suitcases. Then there are the people that pack up their carry-on and go south for the winter, or to the lake in the summer, or both. They go to the same place, same community of friends, doing the same thing. There is also the group of people that do nothing, and they couldn't be anymore content. That is what works for all of them.

I think what the Dalai means is to go someplace you have never been but a place that will have an impact on you. A memorable experience of some sort.  

I want to be someone that reads. I do enjoy books in interesting ways. I get great pleasure when I buy books for people that love to read. I put a huge effort into getting what I think is the perfect book. I always have my ear to the ground for the title of a good book. I take screenshots of it; I pretty much do an extensive research on it. Pairing the book with the person goes back to my other life. I belonged to the Newlyn Ladies Club. One year at Christmas we all drew a name and were asked to do one thing for that person at some point in the year. The person that drew my name delivered my very first Nora Roberts book in a beautiful gift bag. At that point in life, all I was reading was notes the kids brought home from school. I thought it was the best gift you could ever give someone. I caressed that book and at that moment, I developed a book habit. My habit continues to this day and that is to keep the book until the perfect time arrives to read it. Nora took me to places I have never been. I was hooked on her books because of how she introduced a new culture and country in each book. I am a slow reader; I also have a short attention span and my mind wanders which means I have to re-read pages. I am not like many people who have a book, "on the go" or "read at night before bed". I have a time in my head when I am going to read, and that is pretty much all I do when that time arrives, I read. I always have a special book to read on a plane, when holidaying, when the weather is bad. Yep, my silly rules to reading. I can say with all honesty, books take me to places I have never been before.  

Now that everyone has "On the Road Again" stuck in their head, I hope you are also thinking of times you went to places you have never been. It could be a trip, an experience, a medical ordeal or just a book. People are way more exciting than they ever give themselves credit for. I have had the most fascinating conversations with people that have never left their community. They read, watch the news, probably google search and have developed a great understanding of the world they live in.  

I love to "drive around" communities and travel by car. When I start out, I will now think, I'm "On the Road Again" and some days it will be, "Goin Places that I've Never Been".  

Henry Winkler quote 

"You don't know what you can do until you try"