－Omid-X to Hopesoo-Z (his companion on planet X)－
My dearest Hopesoo, whose company has been the most sacred of gifts that life has given me, I hope this email finds you well. I recently heard from my lifegivers that you had a malaise at work, but luckily it was an insignificant event. I am so pleased to know that you are safe and sound. Now, let me tell you about my recent decision on the pursuit of my mission here on Earth.
One day, while I was walking on the beach, I ran into Balthazar Simeone, an enlightened philosopher that I had met a few months ago in Boston. We had a long walk on the beach, and exchanged on various topics of common interest, such as the meaning of life, the precariousness of success, or what would be the end of humanity.
Later on, as we sat down at a table in a terrasse café near the beach, he turned around and asked me: «so are you in for the journey or the destination?» For a split second I got nervous. I had not told him about my extra-terrestrial origin and was afraid he had discovered it. So I asked him: «why do you ask?»
He told me that people are often focused on their goals and what they want to achieve or obtain. So most live for the destination. Even the travelers, including safari tourists, seek to go somewhere to see, do, or obtain something. Balthy, though, believes that life is about the journey, and the journey is the life and the destination. In fact, he thinks that true winners are those who cherish the journey without losing sight of the destination. If the destination becomes our sole focus, we put on filters during our journey to it, and even if we do absorb knowledge and wisdom, it will be a small portion of the true offerings of the journey. He believes that the destination that we would focus on, filters all things that do not immediately and effectively help us reach the intended place. In essence, he thinks that too much focus on the destination prevents us from absorbing the positives that the journey provides and does not allow us the flexibility to change our path, or even to revise our destination, as wisdom settles in.
I am not sure if I grasped everything Balthy want implying, but afterwards, I decided to modify my plan. You see, my dearest Hopesoo, I realized that as time went on here on Earth, I became rather lazy and stayed longer and longer in one place, whereas my original intention was to be constantly on the move. Furthermore, the great weather and the vibrant society here in Miami Beach was tempting me to settle down here, but I know that if I do so, I will miss life as hedonism and a frivolous lifestyle may devour me.
So I decided that I will soon depart this place, head out to Europe on a journey that will keep me on a constant move, changing location constantly. I am not sure if I will be sending emails from every location I will visit, but I will try my best to absorb what these journeys have to offer.
From Miami Beach, Florida - 19 March, 2024 (Earth)