R.A. Robertson

Too many very good points expressed far too well for me to summarize here.

The Tao Te Ching speaks of a kind of aimlessness as appropriate. But I think it's a very particular kind of mindful aimlessness, much like the quality of wandering referenced in the famous Tolkien quote.

We follow a path. The path has outcomes. We expect a path to take us somewhere, either toward destinations or through way-stations. There's nothing wrong with destinations or goals, and I get tired of hearing people say that it's the journey and not the destination. At the same time, while travelers may have a goal, the path does not.

There's something to be said for being both traveler and path. I believe your article speaks to this very nicely.