Travel with joy at any age

   Travelling with a purpose, without complaining and doing so joyfully! Quite a feat! In 1898 with the ongoing Spanish-American war at its height, President McKinley needed to send a message to Garcia, leader of the insurgents in Cuba to secure his co-operation. It was impossible for the President to contact Garcia. Someone suggested that a soldier be sent directly to meet the guerilla leader. Lt. Andrew Rowan volunteered. The President's letter was placed on an oil skin pouch and strapped to the heart of the soldier. It took him 4 days to land by night off the coast of Cuba and then, another 3 weeks across rivers, mountains to deliver the message. The soldier travelled successfully without incident and did his job.

   I remember my enthusiasm the first time I travelled. Unlike the soldier, my adventure was not so arduous. I was leaving my island-home to continue my studies abroad. I was optimistic about the future and happy to have an opportunity to improve myself. I wrote my brothers and parents about every detail of the journey. Nothing could have prepared me for the adventures ahead! I can still taste that joyful feeling even though; I had little money and was not sure how I would survive in the "big world" as my mother described New York. Much has happened in my life and many more experiences of travel have passed from that day 42 years ago! Yet, I can picture that naive, enthusiastic young man. Today with the hassles of immigration and baggage control, it may be possible to find that joy. Joy is not a commodity to be bought. It is a byproduct of happiness and it comes wrapped with optimism. Joy can keep us afloat even when we feel dampened by nosy controls. Above all, joy is spiritual. It has to be because in our age we have so much to be content and yet, we can still be bored and restless. Joy, as Paul VI describes in his Gaudete in Domino, has to come from God if it is to be sustainable.

   Should we strap this message on our hearts like the soldier? Must we recall only our youthful enthusiasm? I think not. Adventures await all of us at any age. We simply must remember to add joy and fewer complaints! Then, air, rail, land and sea - here we come!