TRAVELING PURPOSEFULLY
If "a rolling stone gathers no moss," as the old saying goes, it is yet true that, traveling, motivated, people do so. For, such unique people who travel, move, gather much "moss."
This "moss" is their homage, after-growth, their legacy in the form of followers, imitators, allies, enemies, critics, historical notice; spiritual-cultural influences, even decades centuries, even eons after death.
One of my many heroes is Marcus Mosiah Garvey, of St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, a printer and journalist by trade, who had traveled at his own expense, extensively, observantly, throughput the Caribbean, Central and South America, as well as in North America, investigating the living conditions of the black man, and status of black people, before embarking on his life's work. the founding of the Universal Improvement Association and African Communities League in Harlem, New York, 1917-1920s.
Marcus Garvey's hero (mine, too) was the great Booker T. Washington, another traveling man, founder of Tuskegee Institute in 1881, to whom he had traveled to America to meet with, after writing to him in 1914. Unfortunately, Dr. Booker T. Washington died in 1915 before he and his acolyte, Garvey, could meet. It was not yet time.
From St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, where he was born on August 17, 1887, until his death on June 10, 1940, Marcus Garvey was a traveling man. This summer, if you go no farther than your own local area , seek-out outposts of black historic importance . And take some one with you when you go, so that all and each may grow, from such rejuvenating communal oblations.
Traveling itself abounds in benefits. But, traveling for a purpose tops all! Purposeful traveling fascinates, educates, elucidates, accentuates, illustrates, exhilarates, demonstrates, instates the traveler into locations, situations, that take the complete locus of the traveler: body, mind, spirit, property, to different times, climes. Travel is its own reward. But if it is pursued, purposefully, as for rediscovering out latent, lost or ignored history, it is life-changing and transformative.
Great people travel, broad-minded people travel, inquiring-bold people travel, resourceful people travel. You too must travel, as your own circumstances may best allow, and when you travel, observe, imbibe!
Reading good books, this summer is another great form of traveling; it is vicariously traveling, cheapest form of all. Do this if nothing more!
