Journey

When does a journey begin? Does it begin at conception, before we even take our first independent breath? Or is the beginning of our journey an act of our will - does it begin with our own conscious decision: the willful first step taken in a thousand mile journey? Is my journey, any journey, truly autonomous and independent? Or are we confined by cause and effect, directed by a myriad of unseen decisions and events? It seems to me that I have choice within these confines, but I can't escape the consequences of those choices. Not only of my choices, but of those who have made choices that affect me, directly or indirectly. Even something as beyond me as the weather has significant involvment in my journey. My journey is clearly not only mine, alone. It is a journey in community with all existence, with all that is.