Waypoint 1.4: The Map Is Not the Mountain
From Chapter 1: Standing in The Ancient Shadow
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is perspective, not the truth.”
— Marcus Aurelius
We tied our boots, zipped our packs, turned our noses north to begin the ascent. The kids continued to play with their uncles. My wife and I chatted and took photos, while our Korean friend led the charge. With her children grown and gone, and her independence intact, she leaned into the slope and broke ahead, hiking solo.
So my son became our guide. He described the volcanic features around us in fine detail — and, like all creative artists and budding intellectuals, he invented explanations where he had none.
What is knowledge, anyhow, but a useful invention?
What is it, but a reliable interpretation?
“What is knowledge, anyhow, but a useful invention?”
What is knowledge, really, but a certain something that works? Something woven from within, spun out spider-like, from the silken stuff of experience, stories, legends, and dreams?
What is it but the thinnest thread, holding together a patchwork map with a legend we use to sketch out a common myth?
We mustn’t forget: no map — no matter how well it guides — is the territory.
No, the journey is the thing.
Knowledge is but a tool fitted to the imaginative task of living a good life.
What matters most is whether our task is worth the little while we float about on this volcanic cookie crumb, swirling in The Milky Way.
And what mattered most in this moment for my son was that we were here — that he was guiding us, and explaining to us what he knew as we climbed Mt. Lassen. And what mattered most to my daughter? That I had chocolate chip cookies in my backpack. And that Mom was near.
That was knowledge enough.
💬 Join the Conversation:
🍪 What small details (like cookies or a familiar presence) help you stay grounded on life’s steeper climbs? Comment below!
Field Note for Waypoint 1.4: 🗳️ Can democracy survive if no one agrees on what is real? Join the conversation here: Field Note – Waypoint 1.4
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🗂️Chapter 1 Index: Standing in The Ancient Shadow
Image Credit:
Orb-weaver spider (Argiope sp.) in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2.