Three of Staffs

This morning, I stopped looking at the map and started walking. There was a place farther along the road that I had been thinking about since someone first described it to me. I had traced the route with my finger, imagined the mountains I would pass, and wondered what I might find when I arrived. Today, I packed what I needed, tightened my sandals, and went.

The road climbed almost immediately. Within an hour, my legs were working hard enough that the journey I had imagined yesterday suddenly felt very real. I laughed when I realized how different a path looks when you are standing on it instead of picturing it in your mind.

Near a turn in the trail, I noticed the image of a puma worked into a marker beside the road. I stopped for a moment and ran my fingers across its face. I had heard people speak of the puma and was beginning to understand its connection to this earthly world, the place where life is actually lived.

Then I looked ahead. The road continued beyond what I could see. I still didn't know exactly what waited for me farther along it, but for the first time, that didn't matter quite as much. I was already on my way.