A few nights ago we had movie night at the Helm (our house). The feature show? “Far and Away” with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. It’s a great movie especially to a guy with such a familiar family arc (Ireland to Oklahoma).
In a movie full of great lines and great scenes, one stood out to me with the whisper of Destiny on it. Joseph (Tom Cruise’s character) is on a train heading east through Arkansas. He’s working the railroad. While on a water stop he looks out the train car windows to notice a wagon train heading for Oklahoma, the place he’s dreamed of with free land…his ultimate goal.
As the train begins to pull away he’s conflicted. Does he stay on the train (and a certain future) and continue to dream of free land “some day?” Or does he jump from the train and pursue the unknown? Well as you know he does the brave thing.
As he jumps off the train a man calls out to him, “hey, what’re you doing?” Then the best line of the movie…in my opinion. Joseph says over his shoulder as he runs toward the wagon train, “I was on the wrong road!”
This is my nightmare.
There’s something about being on a road I’m not supposed to be on that haunts me. It speaks of wrong choices and fear and laziness. It speaks of being satisfied with the status quo. “It’s not the best but it’s okay.” “It’s not what I wanted, but it’ll do.”
What’s up with that?
Life is too short. Your days on this spinning globe are not unlimited. You need to do all you can today to make your life mean something. Don’t settle. Don’t settle.
Jump off the train you’re on and get where you need to be.
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