The other night, I was lost yet again in Portland. Getting into town is slick. Leaving is harder. The one-ways and closed streets are easier to navigate with repetition, however, about the time I congratulate myself for having expanded my horizons in the metro area, I’m sucked into the vortex and traipsing like Moses in the wilderness ~ except I’d actually ask for directions if anything was open. Yes, I do have a neurotic GPS.
Wandering around in the fog and dark like ET trying to find home, I stumbled across a bridge and spilled out onto Martin Luther King Boulevard. Breathing a sigh of gratitude for the familiar touchstone, I considered on the remainder of the drive how people like Martin Luther King or Cesar Chavez provide a directional star for so many of our efforts.
I’m grateful for the people who courageously conduct their lives with integrity and provide us with a compass of truth to guide our own endeavors.
There’s a street sign somewhere in Pennsylvania bearing the family moniker. I’m not sure the patronymic will become as famous as Martin’s or Cesar’s, yet I hope somehow what I contribute to the planet will provide illumination and direction even if only one person finds their way back to themselves.
As we continue into the new year we might encourage ourselves for the ways we contribute to our community and the planet.