Friday, 30 June 2006 @ 6:56pm.
“What did you learn in your readings today?” asked Master Halcolm.
“We learned that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,” replied the learners.
“Ah, yes, the importance of beginnings,” smiled Halcolm.
“Yet, I am puzzled,” said a learner. “Yesterday I read that there are a thousand beginnings for every ending.”
“Ah, yes, the importance of seeing a thing through to the end,” affirmed Halcolm.
“But which is more important, to begin or end?”
“Two great self-deceptions are asserted by the world’s self-congratulators: that the hardest and most important step is the first and that the greatest and most resplendent step is the last. While every journey must have a first and last step, my experience is that what ultimately determines the nature and enduring value of the journey are the steps in between. Each step has its own value and importance. Be present for the whole journey, learners that you are. Be present for the whole journey.” — Halcolm
(Source: Patton, Michael Quinn. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (3rd Edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2002, page 317. I highly recommend this book for those doing fieldwork whether in the U.S. or abroad.)
