"Servants of the Map"

Throughout a person's life one will experience extreme highs, extreme lows, and moments where things seem to be "just right."  When reading this HONY post I see the mountain as life, and all of the twists and turns that inevitably come along with it.  As humans we are constantly going through uphill battles, steady moments, and breezy moments where things seem to get better.  And just when a person thinks that he or she has it all figured out life seems to repeat this same course and a person may experience some "rough terrain" again.  I think this HONY post is an excellent reminder of what is important in life.  For most of us Saint Mary's girls the goal as a child was to to do well in high school, get into a good college, graduate, and find a job that fulfills your "purpose."  The thing with this plan is that sometimes real life gets in the way, and things do not always work out the way that you once thought they would.  Maybe the major that you originally chose your freshman year seems a little dull and unfulfilling come junior year, or maybe your about to graduate and feel like finding a job on top of school is too much to handle.  I think the importance of this HONY post is to remind us that it really is important to stop and appreciate how far you have come in climbing your mountain.  It is incredibly frustrating to not reach the top, but there are alternative routes and why turn around when you have already made it so far?  During this "climbing of the mountain" it is also important to keep your identity in mind, and not just your goal, which is something I think both the man in the HONY post and Max struggle with.   I applied this post to Max because on his journey he is so focused on reaching the top of his own mountain that he forgets to stay true to his identity and who he truly is, and it seems like he sort of loses himself along the way.  Not giving up on your journey or your climb is important, but it's also important that you do not lose yourself in the midst of reaching the top of your mountain.