Walden

We recently had some time off. While it was a bummer not playing shows, it was wonderful to get to spend some time with my family. Additionally I got to spend some time alone in the woods.

I think there is a lot to be learned through such experiences. Living our lives in the busy worlds that we do, surrounded by modern amenities and crowded cities, it is easy to forget our place. Spending time in an untouched forest, I gained a fresh perspective on my role in this life. I am not the center of any universe. I am part of a bigger picture. Overwhelmed by foliage and bombarded by ticks, I realized my relative insignificance. While that seems like it would be depressing, on the contrary, I was oddly uplifted and encouraged. There is something relieving about recognizing how little of an impact any of us can actually make in the grand scheme of things.

Sure, there are celebrities and political figures that will be known by large numbers of people. But ultimately, there are very few people who will ever move the hearts of the masses in any deep or meaningful way. This realization does not give us license to ignore the call to help others, to make our world a better place. It simply narrows our focus. We are not failures just because our reach does not extend beyond a small circle of people. Perhaps success is determined not by how wide your impact is, but how deep it is. We do not have to stress or worry about not changing the world; we need only to impact the lives of those around us.

-David