You Can't Go Home Again . . . or . . .

. . . there's absolutely nothing you can't find via Google, if you're diligent about it.

For all the years I've had access to the Internet, I've periodically searched for a friend from college days, someone dear to me who disappeared from my life. I've always wondered what happened to him and where he ended up. Those searches  proved fruitless, until Monday.

I can't imagine what parameters I entered differently, but all of a sudden there he was. So much of him that it blows my mind I didn't locate him before, over the years. It seems that Creator has a grand plan, and it's for Him to know what it is. For some reason THIS was the right time for me to find my friend.

To find this person was at once heartwarming and disconcerting.

He's been extremely successful in his chosen field and clearly discovered exactly the right path for him. When I knew him, some 45 years ago, he had a vision of where he wanted to go but no defined way of reaching that goal. He floundered, as we all did, changing his major two or three times, itching to find the right fit. That he did is evident. In doing so it's also obvious that he influenced many lives and effected positive social change along the way. He's made a difference.

He married about the same time I did and has remained married all these years. He raised two sons and recently became the grandfather of twins. He's now retired, at the pinnacle of his career. All this I unearthed over a few hours' reading, where I couldn't find a trace of him before. A life well-lived, from all appearances, and I'm pleased beyond belief for all of that.

Thomas Wolfe wrote, you can't go home again. Having gained all this information, there's nothing I'll do with it.  Except think about it, long and hard.  

He's made a difference.

In this lifetime we have a limited amount of opportunities to make a difference. What's clear to me, more than anything, is that I haven't done that yet, haven't found--after 66+ years--that magic path that, when you're on it, your world lights up. You know, you just know, you've found your calling. Like my heroes Greg Mortenson, Ghandi, the Dalai Lama and others lesser known but equally committed, dedicated and courageous. Those are big shoes to walk in.

Could I take a stand for something I believe in, against all odds? Could I work for a goal regardless of monetary returns?

I've done many things that have meant a lot to me. More than anything I brought two beautiful daughters into the world, and they've turned out to be incredible, marvelous human beings who are a joy to be with and who make me very, very proud. But that has much more to do with them than me. While my daughters are a legacy I'll leave behind, there has to be more, in the end. What is it? Where is it? When will I discover it?

I'm convinced this realization that the search must begin now, not a moment to waste, is the reason this gift was placed in my hand.

I'm hoping that I can keep my favorite Ghandi saying, Let us be the change we wish to see in the world, at the forefront as I look for the answer to that mystery.

P. S. After writing this and scheduling it to post, I decided to do a bit more web exploration and came across the Blog 4 Change which challenges its readers and writers to answer the very question(s) posed in this entry. Is this the beginning of the answer?