If we don’t know the way, how will we get there?
- Kyle Snyder: Live on Purpose
- August 10, 2023
- 829
“But where were they going without even knowing the way.” —Fastball
In the closing days of June and the beginning of July 1997, police in the state of Texas were looking for a sweet elderly couple named Mr. and Mrs. Howard. The husband just had brain surgery, and the wife had Alzheimer’s.
The Howards were going to a music festival 15 minutes from their house. Their children started being concerned when 5 o’clock rolled around and they couldn’t get ahold of them. When the children went to their house, it was obvious to them their parents’ mental state was worse than what they had thought. The house looked like they just left in the middle of doing a number of activities.
About three days later, Tony Scalzo, the front man for the band Fastball, was looking for inspiration for a new album when he come across the story about the missing couple. He thought to himself, “What if they just wanted to leave everything behind and just wanted to start over?” He began writing a song that would top the charts for seven weeks — a song that romanticized leaving everything behind and just enjoying life.
However, life is not a song. Ten days after the story appeared, the Howards’ car was found at the bottom of a 50-foot cliff near Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was ruled they never saw the curve in the road and never slowed down. The two died together enjoying their life.
Upon hearing the song, the children reached out to the band to confirm if the song was in fact about their parents. After the band admitted the inspiration came from hearing the story, the children were grateful for having their parents live on through the song, “The Way.”
Too many of us just go through the motions of life not really finding our way. It is so easy to go with the flow and not be grounded in who we are or where we are going. I feel like I am not one to talk because I am continually finding out who I am and where I want to go. Let me first tell you we must start where we are right now. If we are in the middle of a commitment, then finish it before moving on to the next opportunity.
What if we don’t know where we want to go? That actually may be the best place to be because we try new things in order to get a feel for them — see what works and what doesn’t. There should be no shame in trying new things. In fact it should be fun. Kind of like cooking spaghetti, we toss them against the wall, and if they stick, they are done.
We need to see what sticks in order to know what works for us. Ask a friend if they can join you. It may not be as scary with a friend — someone to encourage you and bounce ideas off of. If we just do things to get us going, eventually we will find our way.