One of my favorite authors is Wendell Berry. His primary work, “The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture” is book that I would recommend that anyone read. His is not the question of liberal or conservative, secular or non secular but rather what our responsibility is to the world around us. What used to be an everyday part of life, the concept of taking care of the place that we work and live has changed. That change is at the root of many of our struggles in the modern era. However, I could write for days on the topics of that book, rather, I wanted to reference that as an introduction to this really cool quote about knowing which way to go:
“It may be that when we no longer know which way to go that we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
This quote gives you an idea of the complexity of Berry’s writing, yet the profound simplicity and brevity of the word selection. For just a moment, consider that last sentence. The impeded stream. Think on that. If you were hiking in the woods and came across a small stream, it would normally be very quiet and not make a sound, quietly flowing gently through the forest floor. However, when a log or rocks or other objects have blocked the stream and that water has started to gather in a small pond it then begins to flow over and around the object. This is when the stream begins to make a noise, and hence we derive Mr. Berry’s meaning. The stream would not be able to make that common sound that we all know and love, without impedance. The rough and difficult spots are necessary to make the stream what it is.
Our society is constantly pressuring us and especially our young ones to become specialists. We must specialize and become expert in something. We much choose who we are going to be when we grow up. In our society, you cannot just be a doctor any more. You have to pick a specialty and even that is not good enough. There are probably 50 subcategories of that specialty, each requiring training and special certifications to achieve. We no longer are capable of even mowing our lawns anymore, we require a specialist to hire. Even that specialist, the gardener acts as a general contractor if you will, bringing in other expertise as he needs it. Even the simple has become complex. No wonder our world is so fast paced and quick to move on to the next oddity.
When faced with this landscape, many people starting out in life get overwhelmed and stressed by the shear gravity of the decision before them. What specialty do I focus on? Who do I want to become? In essence, they are asking the question, which way do I go? Many will get to the point where they just do not know. They get stuck in indecision, because they are afraid or worried about making the wrong decision. According to Berry, this is where the real journey begins! I remember the exact day that I was faced with this dilemma, and for that I want to share. Wendell Berry was right, that was the day that I started the real journey. Everything up to that point was prescribed for me.
I was getting ready to start my own life. I was planning on getting married. I was working on my first college degree and I was trying to figure out what graduate school to go to and what to focus on. I had the idea of going to law school and was heading in that direction. However, when I started looking for work to support us through our remaining years in college, I found a job teaching software, and basic computer skills. That job worked out well, I was talented at it. I did not know the first thing about most of the software being taught, but I was a quick read and could usually cram the night before and do pretty well in the classroom. The opportunity came for me to take on some advanced level networking courses that would require extensive training, but if I were to succeed, then I would make a lot more money. So I had a decision to make. I could specialize in Local Area Network software, or I could keep the simpler teaching job, continue to focus on my degree and prepare for law school.
This is where the real journey began, because I had to make my own decision. I remember the day, because I wrote out a little chart which I called the Cross Benefit Analysis of my Career Decision. I agonized over this for a few days, and I then made the decision. I did not know if this was the right path, if this was the correct career choice, but I made a decision and stuck with that career choice. I took a few months and crammed every night, putting in probably 100 hours a week in of study and passed all the required certification courses. I was now able to teach, most of the certification courses that the school I was at offered. I made a lot more money, but that was not the point. I had made a career decision, and the fun ride working in the computer networking business in the early 90s began.
My talents were not just in teaching, however. I also might have been good at reading and comprehending technical manuals, but that was not my core talent either. Although, I had made a decision, the real ride was far from over. I would soon be helping to manage that school, then I would try to start my own company, for which I would fail. I would start teaching at a college. I would start my own consulting firm. I would help others start businesses, and create a few more myself. The journey was fun, difficult and still not over. Many times I find myself baffled and confused and really scratching my head as to what to do next. However, just as Mr. Berry said, that is true employment. You know you are doing something right, when you get yourself confused and overwhelmed. That is the real challenge, that is what makes the journey worth it.
So to all of you out there that baffled, confused, overwhelmed and struggling with the obstacles in front of you, I say welcome! You are in good company, many of us, including myself, are in the same exact place. This is the real journey, this is your opportunity to really learn how to sing.
Guy Reams
