“Some Random Thoughts about Quests”

Some friends and I are thinking about going on a quest or quests. I am not sure what a quest even is, but I have some ideas of what might be involved in a quest. Here are some random thoughts in no particular order.

  1. Perhaps God is on a quest, too.
  2. A quest is not so much planned as it is uncovered and recovered.
  3. I may be the hero in some measure and at some times. But many times, I am a servant and companion to others in their quest. This servant role is also part of my own quest.
  4. I need companions on my quest.
  5. There will be dangers in the quest.
  6. There will also be unexpected joys in my quest.
  7. There will be long spells of trudging. This is probably the most important part of the quest.
  8. There are no real shortcuts in any quest that is worthy of the name.
  9. Detours are also part of the quest.
  10. The quest changes both the questor and the world around him/her.

Of course, I may be interested in the idea of questing because I just finished reading through Tolkien’s Ring Trilogy for the umpteenth time. The idea of a quest is very ancient. Gilgamesh went on a quest for eternal life some 5,000 years ago. In the TV show “The Good Place” four sinners go on a quest to find the truly good place. Quest stories and movies and songs are all over the place.

But maybe the reason why the notion of a quest is so common in fiction is that it is so prevalent in real life. Most of us are on a quest for something: riches, honor, pleasure, meaning, power, control, we-know-not-what. The list goes on, but I won’t.

How does a person decide what is that person’s quest? I don’t know, but I intend to find out!

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