Chattanooga Pulse

Note: The good doctor took a rest from his labors for the Labor Day weekend, so he’s selected a favorite past column.

I have recently crossed paths with two friends, both of whom are in the midst of a walkabout.  For those of you unfamiliar with this practice, a “walkabout,” as defined by Wikipedia, is “an Australian term referring to the commonly held belief that Australian Aborigines would “go walkabout” at the age of thirteen in the wilderness for six months as a rite of passage. In this practice they would trace the paths that their people’s ceremonial ancestors took, and imitate, in a fashion, their heroic deeds.”

My friends are doing their own modern-day version of a walkabout.  While perhaps more accurately called a “driveabout,” they are nonetheless on a free-spirited adventure to re-connect with themselves—their internal universe—by connecting with external experiences which lie far beyond the boundaries of the busy lives they have created for themselves.  Both are professionals, and this traveling sabbatical is, for them, a way to renew the spirit, feed the soul, meet interesting people and have unusual experiences.  They have made a commitment to personal enrichment and intellectual discovery.  Wherever their journeys may lead, I have no doubt that they will be much-remembered milestones in the bigger journey of their lives.

One friend simply packed up his truck with camping supplies and headed north for a month.  He has no concrete plans and a minimal map.  The other friend has six months in which to ramble throughout the country—no hotel reservations; just some friends sprinkled here and there who will offer a place to crash for a night or two.

I made a similar, brief journey to Mexico when I was younger.  I slept on the beach in my old VW bug and woke to a glorious sunrise.  I remember the very moment of sunrise, which still makes me smile, so wonderful was that once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I did a slightly more planned-out version of a walkabout with a friend during my first visit to Europe.  We had hotel reservations for the first and last nights of our adventure, but no plans in between except to catch the trains that would take us to various countries.  At each new destination we’d learn the money (this was pre-Euro), a few words of the language, and find a place to sleep.  Everything else was delicious gravy.

I am reminded of one of my favorite phrases:  “Not all who wander are lost.”  This is one of those sayings that struck a chord with me the first time I heard it, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.  A bit later in life its meaning came to me:  The reason we’re not necessarily lost when we’re wandering is because we are, in fact, doing just the opposite: We’re being found.  We’re finding ourselves.  We’re discovering new and unusual external experiences, of people, language, food, cultures, and traditions.

But we’re also discovering parts of our inner selves that, without such exposure to these experiences would lie dormant; unstimulated and unexpressed.  It is precisely in the creative act of wandering that we unearth ourselves, like some primal, personal archeological dig into our psyches and souls.  And we are truly the better for it.

Winston Churchill said that we create our own universe as we go along.  And Joseph Campbell advises us to follow our bliss and the universe will open doors for us.

I believe that we can wander every day.  We may not have a month (or six) to literally wander, but always we can travel the world in our imagination.  We can explore and excavate through meditation, a walk along the river, a romp with the pup, a conversation, a spiritual ritual, a deep breath.  We find ourselves, bit by bit, in the small moments of quiet contemplation.  And in doing so, we see who we are, how we act, what we believe, and how we present ourselves to the world.

I suggest that every day you do something good for your soul. Think positive thoughts, call a loved one, light a candle.  Every day do something good for your mind. Read, meditate, solve a puzzle.  Every day do something good for your body. Exercise, walk, eat well, sleep well.  Do what makes you smile.  Find something to look forward to.  Create your own rituals.  Create the life you want.

Wander.  And let yourself find yourself.

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and is the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.”