Thursday, January 17, 2008

The Only Road North...

I just finished "The Only Road North" by Erik Mirandette. It was a compelling story of his journey from S. Africa to Cairo, Egypt with his brother and two friends. Towards the end of the book, I loved this quote from Erik...

" The most horrible and terrifying thing that I can imagine isn't that I would put all that I am on the line for a cause I believe in and the be called on it. The most horrible and terrifying thing is the thought that I could spend my whole existence minimizing the risks I take, living ignorantly convinced of my safety, rejecting the purpose I was created for, and then someday wake up an old man and see that my life has passed before me, and now with death knocking on my door realize that in all my years I have never truly lived.

We each have a destiny, a legend that only we can live. To embrace it is scary and dangerous, and most choose not to. Most put it off until tomorrow, until after high school, until after college, until after establishing a financial base. Can't they see? We only get one shot at this life. Tomorrow may never come. The time is now! Not to drop everything and move to Africa, but to find the passion that is inside us and embrace it, to listen to the subtle whispers."

2 comments:

Tara Follett said...

I read this book also. I seriously couldn't believe the turn it took after "click. click. click. boom!" Cried like a baby. I hung on to the last few chapters. It makes me re-think all the cliche things I say to people when they've experienced loss or suffered tragedy.

Dave Roberts said...

I agree. After reading the book I'm going to be much more careful with what I say to people after they have experienced a tragedy.