wayfinding

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As I mentioned here, I am a little directionally challenged. I mostly get myself around by leap-frogging to known highways. When I first walked around M.D. Anderson, I would point myself in the direction of a particular landmark, follow the signs to that point, and then find a new landmark that I knew was closer to where I needed to be. Elevator bank, to park, to skywalk, etc. It works for me.

But I don't recommend it for life.

 I wrote a paper in my freshman English college class about the perceived checklist that Latter-Day Saints give themselves in their lives. Get baptized. Graduate from high school and seminary. Go on a mission. Go to college. Find soulmate. Get married in the temple. Have babies. Graduate college. Get a full-time job, either as a parent or as the financial provider. Etc. I honestly don't remember what my conclusion was, but I'm pretty sure it spoke against these checklists.


I find that I need a refresher course, because I had mentally put my life in a checklist. I've skipped the 'typical' order, missed entire steps, and started feeling like I was in limbo. Then a light bulb went off: life is not a static playground. It is near impossible to follow the same steps to reach the desired destination. Although some things should still come first (notably, in the checklist above, marriage before babies) the order of others may get jumbled about a bit. And that is okay, because I still know where my destination is: heaven. And I know how to get there: using the counsel from prophets throughout the ages, move forward.

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