1. to wander aimlessly
2. to proceed by taking a winding or indirect course
3. to wander without definite aim or direction

That’s how the dictionary has come to define what it means to meander. I disagree. Not in that those definitions are false, but in that they don’t do the word justice; they’re incomplete. For to me, what it means to meander is something a bit more, with positivity rooted in each syllable of its formation. You see, they’ve placed the emphasis on the wrong thing, using words like aimless and without direction, which could easily confuse one to believe that one who meanders is one without a mission. I believe it’s not so cut and dry. I prefer to think of it as wandering without the boundaries of a direct course, and without the restrictions of an uncompromising goal that clouds the beauty along the winding path to get there. When your eyes are so fixed on the destination, much like a racing horse to the finish line, you may forget to allow yourself to enjoy the fruits of the journey. A shame it would be to not allow for the possibility that the memories that stick with you are those many that happened along the way rather than the single memory of crossing the finish line, for which the novelty fades soon after. There’s no rush. The sky won’t fall if you don’t reach the end, nor will it seem as blue if you don’t take a moment’s pause to acknowledge it along the way. Cherish the journey as much as the destination. The destination only exceeds its potential when the journey’s potential has first been reached.

Years ago, back in high school, I was a member of a cross country team. That is when the word meander earned my appreciation. The day of practice before the big race our coach would often request that we ‘just go for a nice long meander. Get your legs stretched out, but there’s no need to kill yourself, just enjoy the trails.’  We weren’t aimless per se. Our aim was clear and simple, to run far and long enough so that our legs would be warm and loose for the day to come. Our direction did not matter and there was no set bend in the trail that we were required to reach. All that mattered was that we ran and that was enough, and it was fun.

Now, I’m not saying that having an end goal is a foolish endeavor void of its own merit. Goals are a great thing for one to have. It just seems too often that we take the pursuit of our goals so seriously that we do not leave any wiggle room for a meander, and if one unexpectedly takes us the long way we can become angry, upset, discouraged, or even defeated. What good does that do? It would seem that if we took our blinders off we may be able to better anticipate and accept a meander, enough so that it becomes a laughable or memorable moment in which we took in the sights and smelled the roses. It could remind us not to take ourselves too seriously and that it’s ok to fail, even a few times, before succeeding. And in the event we don’t succeed, well at least we have our notes and images from the journey and perhaps that’s worth something.

So, whatever it is you want to do. Wherever you’ve been wanting to go. That place you see yourself while you’re struggling to see your 9-5 task right in front of you. All of those scenes mesmerizing you as your screensaver fades from one photo to the next. They’re real places that you can experience first hand if you simply take the first step in their direction. You don’t need to see the whole path, and with so many potential meanders in it, it would be impossible to do so even if you tried. So, go. Just go! Get up, get out, and go meander. You may just find there’s a big, beautiful world out there, and it has been waiting for you all along.

– Brian

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