To what ends?

From as far back as I can recollect, all races (and journeys) have always been about running (or travelling) in a direction that leads on to either the destination itself or somethihg closer to the destination.

Any direction that didn't take one closer to the destination was the "wrong" direction. Of course, back then the toughest races were 2 laps of the circumference of the school ground and the longest journeys were from home to school. And back.

As I grew older the races got longer and longer and tougher and tougher. Long and tough not only because they were long and tough, but also because the destinations got so farther and farther away that they even ceased to be visible anymore. That and from being just tracks along the perimeters of grounds, the paths that led to destinations became more and more sinous.

Which meant: even though the direction seemed "wrong" for the time being, there was hope that it will take a turn and lead into the path to the destination. Back then, most paths did fulfil their destiny and did lead to destinations.

However that was far from all. From being merely sinous, the already meandrous paths grew more and more serpentine. Which meant: now paths seemed to be entirely in the "wrong" direction for days and months together. Some had the hope and strode on while most gave up and yielded in.

There was more. All this while, there was at least certainty in that there was a destination to reach. Now even that changed. As the paths got more and more confusing, it became difficult telling which the actual path was and which was not. Also the destination was so out of sight that it ended up being only an illusionary object of the distant future - indeterminate, uncertain and even undefined.

It has gotten to the extent that many can't tell the difference between a milestone and a destination. Reaching the end of your ladder is (or could be) your destination, climbing the first rung is not.

Today when I look around things have gotten worse. Destinations overlap, paths cross and the most runners run for the sake of running without the faintest knowledge of why they're running or what they are running towards. As long they're running, they're satisfied in the falsities of their being runners in their wee little races.

What's even shoddier is that in the name of reward and recognition, many a runners are given the delusionary fulfilment of having reached "significant" milestones in their journeys and the runners happily buy into the baloney too. Some even put up the medals and honours for the lesser mortals to see and turn green.

A lot of questions thus arise

• To what ends are all means?
  
• Is there a worthwhile and "real" destination to pursue?
  
• If yes, is it so bad to have a little fun along the way?
  
• For how long can one continue treading a path that seems all wrong before one calls it quits?