Journeys - by Kourtney Lewis (Guest Contributor)

[I feel very honoured that my blog is being followed by a class of students at Choctaw High School in Oklahoma, in the USA.  I asked their teacher Dustin Johnson whether one of his students would like to write something for my blog.  

Thank you to Kourtney for writing this inspiring and insightful piece, and for sharing something of her own special journey. – Paul]

 Hi, my name is Kourtney Lewis, and I go to Choctaw High School in Choctaw, Oklahoma, USA. I am one of three drum majors for our school marching band and I am also a three year cancer survivor. Everyone has their own personal journey and a story to tell.  

Often inspiring and admirable, they’re also life-changing. A journey is defined as traveling from one place to another. In our journeys our inner selves learn to change and overcome what our past selves had not been able too. We are able to find out who we are and what we are meant to do with our lives. For example, had I never been diagnosed with cancer, twice, I would never have been so inspired to make a difference in my life and in the world, to take that one small step towards change for the better. And so I admire Paul for going back and making a journey to settle his past and see the beauty in Angola.

 We often pass life by without stopping to see the beauty surrounding our entire lives. Therefore, we often take for granted what we have until it is at stake. Paul is admired for going back to settle his ghosts. It’s not an easy task. He has determination people can only dream of. Journeys cannot be accomplished without that. One quote caught my eye.

“ The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.” -Barbara DeAngelis

Journeys can overcome fears or change our entire outlook on life. They can change us, and let us see what life has to offer or possibly even to see how everyone else views the world. We can learn so much from journeys and actually going through with them. Fulfilling a journey is one step towards an ultimate goal, which we may or may not know what that goal is. Maybe that’s the fun in it. We may come across something brand new and different, take it all in, learn from it all, and grow from it. This quote for example:“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”- Robert Frost.

So to Paul Morris, I wish you all the best. Everyone in our class is cheering you on. I am thrilled to hear more about your journey and how it goes. You are an inspiration with your determination and strength. Your journey is sure to be admired all around the world.