“Oh, I would walk a thousand miles
To hear you laugh or see you smile”
- Happy Place by Saint Phnx
I probably lost count of the number of times I listened to that song since it came out. Its mesmerizing melody communicates melancholy and honour through the singing of the bagpipes. It could also be the lyrics striking a chord deep in my bones that I was never aware existed. Sometimes, it is just the sad and harsh story behind this song, reminding me of the reality we live in, and I ache to escape it. How I wish to go to my Happy Place. I guess it is true that there is no escape from the rain, at which point I can only decide to either sink or swim.
However, I always wondered about the particularity of that number and what it meant. When it comes to going on a journey, whether to understand someone or because we want to see someone, why do we always say that the walk must be 1,000 miles long? Does it hold any symbolic value? There was no direct answer to these questions, other than such a journey begins with the first step. As far as I am concerned, this interpretation revolves around the determination to get something started, to achieve one’s goals, to reach a destination to become a better version of oneself. Yet does it really apply to all cases? Is it possible that in certain cases, the journey could just not happen for whatever reason? Could my journey lead to you?
When I listen to those specific lyrics, I try to understand what is truly said. Does it mean that I would get to see you after travelling a total of 1,000 miles? Quite similar to what Vanessa Carlton describes in her song A Thousand Miles, about being eagerly missing a loved one who is not physically present. Being in a situation where not every option is a viable one, confusion tends to be high. The impression of being surrounded with smoke and mirrors only to the indecision and second-guessing happening between our own two ears.
“I will be the first to admit that I am a lonely soul
And the last to admit I need a hand to hold”
- Happy by NF
Maybe it is all just a lie, a mirage I place in front of me so that I never stop moving forward. I do not know what is around the bend, nor what my future holds in store for me. Today, I wonder if the smoke is starting to finally dissipate and unveiling the reality which I probably refused to face all this time. I mean, when I sit down for a second and reflect on it, it is the only viable explanation.
I used to think that walking a thousand miles was an almost impossible feat, only to realise that it only makes sense to be able to achieve such a distance in one year. With a bit of math conversion involved, 1,000 miles is the rough equivalent of 1,609 kilometres and therefore if the goal is to walk that distance in 365 days, then one would have to average close to 4.3 kilometres per day. If we are to convert that distance into steps (as it is easily traced by our smartphones), one would have to make 5,289 steps in 24 hours. If I were to apply my current everyday lifestyle to that logic since January 1st, I would have walked those 1,000 miles by the end of April. A distance I would gladly travel to witness your ears meeting each other through your smile.
How many times would I get to see you again if that saying were true? If that landmark did exist for a fact. A sight I would have loved to see at every football game – as a player, coach, and referee. A cheer I would want to hear whenever my guitar strings vibrate to what the universe offers me when I need to stand tall. A laugh I would get to witness whenever I would have my passport checked at an airport at the start of a weekend travel, because of how goofy I look on that document photo. A snarky comment that would crack me up during my last rep at the gym.
I used to think that if I took enough pictures of you, I would never forget you, nor how much you mean to me. Truth is, when I look back at some of the pictures, I only realise how much I have lost. Today, I can only move forward in this never-ending journey as giving up would not help in any way.
Just for the hope that maybe one day I will find a better ending.
One where I get to hear you laugh and see you smile.
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
- David Mitchell
Change The Lens 