Welcome to the crooked road.

Seekers and Finders

“...I went to the doctor; I went to the mountain,

I looked to the children; I drank from the fountain,

There's more than one answer to these questions

Pointing me in crooked line

The less I seek my source for some definitive,

The closer I am to fine...”

Indigo Girls—Amy Ray and Emily Sailers

        Some of us are born to pry open the lid and look inside. We stir the tea leaves, and dissect every event and conversation like we dissected that worm in high school biology class. Some of us analyze and ask questions until we're satisfied with the answers. And, sometimes that's a good thing. There have to be seekers in this world—the ones who “go to the mountain” and “drink from the fountain.” We find our way by a crooked path...but we usually find our way.

        There are others who are satisfied to walk a straight line. I often envy such folks because their world is less complicated, less fraught with unpleasant possibilities. The answers for the non-seekers are clear; not ambiguous, not murky with “what if’s.” They tend to decide early what is black and what is white and stick with it throughout life. And, as long as nothing “gray” happens, or God forbid, orange or purple, they are pretty “close to fine.”

        “There's more than one answer to these questions...” There's room for all kinds of people, the complicated seeker and the dedicated straight-liner. But, here's the rub—sometimes there are NO answers; at least, no good answers. That's when life gets truly uncomfortable for analytical types; we dig in and redouble our efforts. We lay awake nights and burn the midnight oil, searching. We are an intense lot. But non-seekers say, “Oh-well, there's always Tara.” and off they go, cool as cucumbers. Oh, to be so light on the feet!

        If you are blessed to be a non-seeker, thank your lucky stars. You are, no doubt, closer to fine than I. If you're cursed with the seeker-gene, welcome to this very crooked road. Perhaps we’ll meet along the way. We can drink from the fountain together.

                                        In the spirit,

                                        Jane