16 March - Day 14 - ‘The Journey is the Reward’

Whether the quotation is attributed to Steve Jobs or a Chinese Proverb, cycling is a good way of learning its meaning.

How often do we focus on where we are going or rush to the next place we want to be in life without appreciating the journey - both physical and metaphorical? Whether it was my journey home yesterday, when I saw a buzzard perched silently on a nearby branch or the snowdrops, streams and people that I would normally just drive by without noticing, we all perhaps need to appreciate and see more of the immediate world around us. When the world over the last few months has felt like a waiting room, with everyone wanting a different future, it is easy to forget what we already have. We certainly need to try and avoid the potholes and keep an eye on where we are heading but we also need to value moments, people and sights that are precious. In the same way that the here and now is valuable, so St Wilfrid’s Centre for many is just a place ‘to be’, not necessarily a place for development or progress but a place to belong, a place to feel welcome at the moment it is needed.

So while I am exploring rewards, I thought I would share with you how ‘sad’ the Director of St Wilfrid’s can be completing the wall chart in my office. With the black and white numbers representing the days cycled, the red numbers the weeks and the two bicycles the journeys to work and home, you might think I should have better things to be doing with my time. When I look at this each day, however, alongside the huge generosity of those who have sponsored me and the sponsorship calendar on our website, what better incentive could I have to appreciate the 4500 mile journey and the value of the money raised for clients who just want ‘to be’ and the importance of everyone who wants to share the journey with our community.