When I was on vacation in Hawaii, my wife and I took a hike to a waterfall in Manoa. The one-hour hike took us through practically a jungle, complete with bugs, bird calls and lizard sightings. Though the hike only furthered my awareness of how out of shape I am (I guess round is a shape), it was well worth it.
As I sat there observing the first waterfall I have ever seen, I thought about what it meant to me. I couldn’t help but wonder where all of the water was coming from, and what’s propelling it down this cliff? I noticed that this waterfall was like life—there’s so much of it! I could only imagine how much water was at the top, just an overflowing abundance of water, of life! There were many ways down the fall: the direct path that was a rushing downpour, the kind that trickles down the contour of the mountain, and some water that was just splashing off to the side. Much like these different water paths are the paths that people take through their careers or even just their day-to-day lives. Am I going to rush through the day so I can get back to my couch and watch TV, or am I going to enjoy it from start to finish, taking time to appreciate the process as well as the finish.
I like to consider myself a beginning philosopher, if that’s even a title. I’m always thinking about life, what it means and how to live it in my own best way. Seeing this waterfall, and just being in Hawaii helped me reflect on how great life in California is, and made me aware of what could be made better.
The last note I’ll make about the waterfall is that, though falling at a different pace, each stream originates from the same point, and ends in the same pool. That pool could be the end of a project, a day, a week, or a life—but nonetheless, it all comes together at the end.