Migrating or meandering?

This month’s National Geographic’s big article is about animal migrations, how they do it, why they do it, and what defines a migration. Migrating rattle snakes are not really my thing, especially with the up-close picture of the dead one. But I love the butterflies.

The article begins by listing “five characteristics that apply, in varying degrees and combinations, to all migrations. They are prolonged movements that carry animals outside familiar habitats; they tend to be linear, not zigzaggy; they involve special behaviors of preparation and arrival; they demand special allocations of energy. And one more: Migrating animals maintain a fervid attentiveness to the greater mission, which keeps them undistracted by temptations and undeterred by challenges that would turn other animals aside.” (Great Migrations, National Geographic, November 2010, p. 37).

I’ve moved a lot in my life. Average for me is four years at a single address. Some places are less. My record is five and a half years. Right now we’re talking about staying where we are at for a very long time though. In some ways each move has been a form of migration. Each move took my family, and then me, to a habitat that was different from my own. They have been a great adventure and a chance to discover new places and peoples. Oddly, my own moves have been rather linear. Utah, south through New Mexico to Texas. Back north to Utah. And most recently back south again to Arizona. Packing, unpacking, moving schools and jobs, are definitely special behaviors at preparation and arrival. There is certainly an energy demand on moving. And despite all of the challenges with every move, once it has been decided to move they’ve all happened.

But what about in other areas of my life? Intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, am I migrating or am I meandering? Am I stepping outside of my comfort zones and moving into new territory? Have I set goals and am I moving towards them? Am I using special skills, or improving the skills I already have, in my life to try to improve myself? Am I allocating energy where it needs to be? And finally, am I letting myself get distracted by too many things in my life? Am I paying attention to my greater mission? In short, am I meandering around rather haphazardly and seemingly lost or am I migrating towards a new level that will provide me with new opportunities for growth? Those are some personal questions that I’m not going to answer so publicly. But I will definitely be thinking about them and making changes where necessary.

On to my next great personal migration!