In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book One - The Early Years (The Start of a Dream) - 9781796538403

As I sit here to begin telling the story of my life that I call In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography), I aim to trace this singular thread of searching that has remained constant in my life of adventure. My life has been a mosaic of many independent events that on face value appear to have nothing in common, that is, when viewed from the outside. One must always remember to avoid drawing conclusions from appearances alone. When I view the events of my life from the inside, there is a great consistency and commitment to this search for meaning in my life. It is no small miracle that I have survived my adventures to this day to be able to tell my story, and it is by the grace of God alone that I've reached this point in my life to share my hopes, dreams, journeys and adventures with you. My journeys and adventures officially started the day I intentionally stepped off the well-worn path of life and onto the path less-traveled. It was a deliberate and calculated decision and my life has never been the same since. It has not been an easy life, for once the comfort of the path well-traveled is left behind, there are few signposts to follow and no maps to guide you. Uncharted territory as they say and not without its pitfalls, danger and misfortunes. I often wondered if this path would ever lead me back to the safety and comfort of the familiar again. In some ways it has and in other ways it hasn't, but 'The Great Adventure' I began in 1976 has never really ended for me over all these many years. I will be traveling this path less-traveled in my continuing search for the meaning of my life right up to the very end. I couldn't really explain it when I was growing up, but I wished there would have been some sort of guidebook I could read that would have broadened my choices in determining the course and direction of my life. Life seemed so programmed, restrictive and predictable - kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, high school and college. I felt straight-jacketed by the whole process and progressively funneled down an endless hallway leading to a destination that wasn't of my choosing. This entire process felt automated and confining - like a widget being processed along a conveyor belt or being prodded down a cattle chute leading to an unknown and uncertain outcome. Life seemed to be all about the process of conforming, as opposed to being all about journeys, dreams and adventures - which were never classes listed on my course schedule. The crux of the problem was that I wasn't enjoying life while growing up, and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel to give me hope and encouragement...

• | Author: Mark D. Jones
• | Publisher: Independently published
• | Publication Date: Feb 15, 2019
• | Number of Pages: 94 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 179653840X
• | ISBN-13: 9781796538403