The Careful Tourist

One wise person says to live in the moment. Another says to take the long view.

The stairs inside to the top of the lighthouse are wrought iron. With every step, the steps below are visible. Until at the top, they appear as layers of black lace. Every step is its own part of the paisley.

At the top, one looks out, not down. Because it is out in the distance where the long view lives. It is broad and wide with no definition, no lines of demarcation. The long view is vast and must be imagined.

Do both, the third wise person says. Look down at the step you are on and the ones before it and look out to where nothing is sure and anything is possible. Don’t be lost in either place.