Review: The Longest Walk

The Longest Walk: An Odyssey of the Human Spirit by George Meegan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

George Meegan decided to take a walk. Not just any walk; he wanted to walk from the tip of South America to the arctic shores of Alaska. The book in which he chronicles his journey is as lengthy a read as was his walk, but I found it worthwhile to read his experiences throughout his journey and try to glean some understanding that I could apply in my own life.

One passage that stood out to me:

How dreadfully the fear of consequences can stifle so many valiant potential deeds, I thought, a fear threatening like a black hole to annihilate the star of one's soul, sucking the very matter out of an idea until it collapses and disappears, leaving nothing but a memory, a dream unfulfilled.

It is so important that we overcome the hesitation caused by fear, so that we might embrace possibility. The author described his life-changing walk in detail. And I think his final reflections are universally paramount:

I gave thanks for the opportunity to share my fellow human beings' laughter as well as their sadness, their love as well as their misery, and for learning to love this frail, endangered, yet still magnificent planet that had borne me safely and in harmony with my road. I had found the essential, if flawed, goodness that resides in everyone, everywhere.

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