Your quest began here!

The guidance I sought within the journal was just a couple of pages from the itinerary I had earlier deciphered:

"In my quest for Truth, I determined to become the fool; knowing nothing and knowing that I know nothing, and that much, on, and with, purpose. Seeming the fool has been a great help to me, as everyone is quick to point out foolishness and offer correction whether out of pity or contempt, and I have found that there is no greater way to seem a fool to others than to proclaim oneself a treasure hunter. Most everyone is especially quick to point out this foolishness and offer their opinion on how you really should be spending your time. When this happens, pay attention because they are about to tell you what is important to them and why it should matter to you. That is to say, they are about to tell you their truth; those things that matter most to them in their lives, and this is what you seek for yourself: That which truly matters. 

Fortunately, in my youth I heard several tales of lost treasure, some more interesting and credible than others. While I found them all entertaining, one resonated with me more than all the rest; an audacious tale of a fabled key said to unlock a treasured chamber wherein is that called True. This one intrigued me because it made me question whether the treasure was the chamber or the key. Without the key, one could not access the chamber, and so which was the real treasure? Ask yourself, which would you rather have: a treasure chamber you could not access or the key that unlocks it?

Lost on nearly everyone was that within the treasured chamber was that called True, and that was what I had truly set out to find. If I could find the key, I would find the treasure and where I found the treasure, I would find the Truth. To access the Truth, I needed the key. Find the key, find the Truth. For me, finding the treasure is incidental. Not that I wouldn’t welcome it, you understand. The Truth couldn’t pay the bills. Or maybe it could… Either way, I would never know unless I found it. Regardless, as I said, it’s an audacious tale and a very foolish sounding inquiry to make of someone. It served me well in my quest."

 A treasured chamber? A key? The Truth? I had been poor my whole life. Seeing all that silver earlier today and thinking of all the ways it would simplify my sister’s life had certainly whetted my appetite for such things. I would follow the wise man’s example and ask after this treasure. If I found the treasured chamber, I’d be set for life, and I’d also know the Truth. Yes, I would need the key, but as I drifted off to sleep, I found myself questioning if maybe it was actually the Truth that was incidental in this scenario. After all, if I found one, I’d find the other, so it didn’t really matter which one I truly sought. Right?