The Expedition

An Allegorical Explanation Of A Loving Discipline Relationship

by Wolfling

wolfling_cub@yahoo.com

 

 

Friday, the 13th of the month of October

Full Moon of the Lunar Cycle

Year 2000 C.E.

 

(To My Guide - Whoever You Will Be)

 

There are two components of an expedition, a guide and an explorer. Each loves his job and enjoys the relationship with the other.

 

The guide knows how best to navigate the jungle. He knows which path leads to the headhunters and which path leads to ancient buried treasure. He cannot avoid all of the tigers and pythons along the way, but he can make the best decisions as to how to deal with them. As a guide,  it is his responsibility to protect the explorer and help him get to their objective safe and sound. The guide does not resent the explorer. The guide needs the explorer. A guide cannot be a guide if there is no one who needs guidance.

 

The explorer provides the guide with companionship, a new perspective and a purpose. The guide is not training the explorer to be a guide. Each is what and whom he is. The guide is not disappointed or frustrated with the explorer for being who he is. The guide does not spend his days looking forward to the day when the explorer will need no guidance, that would deprive him of his purpose, his relationship and therefore his happiness.

 

The explorer is eager to get to the objective, but he needs help to navigate the jungle. He needs a guide. He knows that the guide has the knowledge of the path, and he respects that, but, being an explorer, he wants to wander from the path. He doesn't want to be eaten by the tiger, but he sure as hell wants to see one! He wants to dip his foot into the quicksand, just to see if he really will sink, he trusts the guide to keep him from drowning. He trusts the guide to save him from himself.

 

Things happen during the course of the expedition, and the guide and the explorer will disagree. When they come to a river, the guide explains that, though it may be difficult, the best way to cross is to build a bridge. The explorer thinks it will be easier to swim across. The guide explains that the river is full of crocodiles. The explorer isn't afraid of crocodiles. At this point, either the guide will be able to force the explorer to build a bridge with his help, or the explorer will dive into the river and the guide will have to dive in after him and do his best to help the explorer deal with the consequences of his actions.

 

If the guide is able to force the explorer to build a bridge, the explorer will not be happy about that, but it will not discourage him from the expedition, nor will being made to conform to the guide's wishes make him want to leave the guide. He understands that the guide is doing his job, this is why he needed a guide in the first place. The explorer does not crave abasement, however, only guidance.

 

If the explorer dives into the river, the guide will be unhappy about that.  The guide will be very, VERY unhappy about that, but he will not be tempted to abandon the explorer. Though it would be better if the explorer had heeded his advice, the guide understands that the explorer has impulses toward adventure that are beyond his own control at times. The explorer explores and the guide is happy to guide him.

 

Though it may look as if it might be easier, the guide would never put the explorer on a leash, giving him no choice but to obediently follow the guide. That is not guiding, that is domination. The explorer and the guide have mutual respect for each other. The guide gets no joy from tyranny.

 

Now at times, the guide may need help. He may fall ill, or as a part of the job, he may end up with a crocodile tooth embedded in his thigh. At this time the explorer easily takes the lead and cares for the guide. The explorer would never venture into a nest of snakes while the guide needed him. The explorer is not inconsiderate, selfish or uncaring.

 

Some guides and explorers tend go on the expedition with other guides and explorers. This commonality is enjoyable to them and they create a community of their own. They only venture to the native tribes of the jungle as needed, for food and trade.

 

Some guides and explorers spend their time within the tribe, as tribe members, keeping their expedition to themselves. There are three reasons for  this.

 

For some, the expedition is a private journey, and they feel that revealing their private expedition would turn it into an exhibition.

 

Some understand that the tribe is not used to the idea of journeying outside the boundaries of the village, and this new concept would frighten them. One does not frighten the tribe, both out of compassion and precaution. A frightened tribe can be a dangerous tribe.

 

Finally, some do not wish to make their expedition public, because the tribe tends to misunderstand the expedition and the roles of the guide and the explorer. They misinterpret the guide and the explorer as a master and a slave, a king and a subject, a nanny and an infant, a prince and his personal servant, a god and his worshipper, a master of the hounds and his hound, or people who get enjoyment from giving and receiving pain. These are all incorrect and it becomes monotonous, tiring, depressing and even emotionally painful to try and continually explain the differences.

 

Unfortunately, all guides do not have explorers and all explorers do not have guides, and one without the other is a sad site indeed. No matter how much love and companionship one may get from the friends and family around him, he will always think of the expedition, and dream of the perfect explorer or guide with which to make the journey. Sometimes one may build a perfect image of an explorer or a guide in his mind. Things such as 'my guide must be larger than me' 'my explorer must be younger than I' 'my guide must have dark hair' 'my explorer must be attractive' 'my guide must be rich' 'my explorer must have a college degree' 'my guide must be ripped' etc. are the types of things one might imagine, or dream about. In truth, however, when your guide or explorer comes, you will know he is the one to begin your expedition with, whether he fits your mental image or not. It is just like falling in love.