Wandering can take several forms. Your mind may wonder while you are on the bus to work. Your feet may wander while you walk through the city. But not all wanders are lost.
The line comes from a poem of one of the most prolific tales, one of the most epic quests, J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. In the story, the poem is about a king who does not wear his crown and who takes on a different name.
- "All that is gold does not glitter,
- Not all those who wander are lost;
- The old that is strong does not wither,
- Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
- From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
- A light from the shadows shall spring;
- Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
- The crownless again shall be king."
This line however does not hold truth in just the fantasy world it was created for. This quote should strike a cord with youth across the world; with anyone who is not yet certain of who they are or are meant to be.
Being in my final year of college, I am not sure where the next stage of my life will take me, and that stage is all too quickly approaching. For some of my classmates, there are already job offers on the table. For most, like myself, there is only a mystery which we are all hopeful to solve soon. The years we have spent in college, and even prior, have shaped us into the individuals we are now.
Many wander through life, but few of us are lost. From early days in school we are given structure and have the freedoms to pick extra-curricular activities. Some excel in sports, others debate team, some manage both. Throughout, we are allowed few truly impactful decisions, until the time to apply for colleges arrives. For the first time in life, most students are given options that will affect the rest of their lives: enter the workforce straight out of high school, pursue a trade, or apply to college. Each of these choices has following questions that are just as impactful. Where do I attend school, what subject should I study, and where do I want to work after college? These are all questions I found myself pondering.
Looking back, I know I wandered. I've changed majors, I've changed friends, and my hobbies have certainly shifted. The same is true for so many others. Having the rigid structure of high school taken away and being forced into the world leads many young adults questioning who they are, where they excel, and how they will pass the time.
All these young adults wander. They experience life and the opportunities presented to them. Maybe they travel, join clubs, or fall in love, but they all experience the world in one way or another. And this wandering they do does not mean they are lost, they are simply on the track to becoming who they are meant to be.
So if you aren't sure where life is taking you, if you feel lost, just remember you are wandering down the journey that is life.
