Have you ever thought of learning life lessons from a map? While discussing maps, it is often thought that a map is no more than a piece of paper that brings you from one place to another. In reality, there is much more to a map than just that. The overall purpose of a map is to be an accurate representation of a specific area and help guide one through a journey. Taking a deeper look will lead you to find many ideas that help you throughout your journey and life.
Since the early ages, maps have been very useful in helping us navigate our world. As we look further into a map, the geography we see have explanations behind them. In the book “Maps of The Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer” by Peter Turchi, Sam Hamill is noting down aspects of the poet Basho, “‘His journey is a pilgrimage; it is a journey into the interior of the self as much as a travelogue, a vision quest that concludes in insight. But there is no conclusion. The journey itself is home’” (Turchi 22). As we take a look into this quote, we can see how the way poet Basho is described shows his journeys are about much more than the travel itself. It shows that he evolves internally throughout his journey, and it’s not so much about the actual movement of the journey. While looking at a map, behind each turn and landmark we see, there is always an explanation behind each mark on the map. Each reflecting on something the journeyman encountered and shaped their view of the world. It all comes together through what each explorer has experienced and thinks is important to be on the map. We can take it in a way that the explanation for the map is to help guide you on your way to your destination, while also taking into account your personal journey. Throughout the process of creating a map, the cartographer will learn many life lessons for themselves.
With each map based on an explorer’s experiences as they embarked on their journey, they not only help out travelers, but they also give the cartographer a greater purpose. In the text, it states “At some point in the lifelong journey, the traveler recognizes he has something to offer others. Having mapped the Mississippi River and its environs, Mark Twain found himself prepared to tell the world about a place it had never seen the way he had seen it”(Turchi 24). After taking a look at this quote, it gives an explanation as to how a map isn’t only for the one using it, but also for the cartographer to express his journey. Twain was able to show the world how he saw the Mississippi River, which might have been a completely different experience from whom last mapped it. This helps educate others on his discoveries, and he hopes that it will give them guidance on their own journey. This made Twain feel as if he wasn’t doing this for no reason and gave him motivation to explore. Not only does this apply to cartographers, but also applies to people who don’t take up cartography but have knowledge of an area. The following sentence of the previous quote mentions how Nick Carraway, from the famous book The Great Gatsby, realizes “‘I was lonely no longer. I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler’”(Turchi 24) after being asked for directions by a man. Even though Carraway is not a cartographer, he knew the area a man had asked about and felt he had a greater sense of purpose when he was able to help him on his journey. During one’s journey through life, they will develop skills and gain knowledge, and they are able to spread this to others. This gives each person a greater sense of purpose in their life and encourages them to discover new things and learn as much as they can.
Furthermore, it is also important to learn from maps to not predetermine how much of something you can do. Setting a limit for yourself will stop you from reaching your potential, whether that be in creating a map or in everyday life. Turchi writes, “If we attempt to map the world of a story before we explore it, we are likely either to (a) prematurely limit our exploration, so as to reduce the amount of material we need to consider, or (b) explore at length but, recognizing the impossibility of taking note of everything, and having no sound basis for choosing what to include, arbitrarily omit entire realms of information”(Turchi 14). This quote is important because it shows the importance of knowing how and what to note on for the map while exploring. It teaches us that if we set limits on ourselves before we even try something, it will most likely prevent us from exploring every aspect and potentially miss finding something very important. This could be information that would’ve been used if it had been discovered. On the other hand, we learn if one tries to take note of every single detail, they will realize it’s nearly impossible to do so. During the process of trying to jot everything down, they will also likely miss a key detail that will leave the idea skewed or false. With the purpose of a map to be a precise and accurate representation of an area, most of the time that is, it’s important to know how to deal with these common dilemmas. These are also seen all the time in everyday life, such as in class when the professor is talking for a hour straight. You can’t jot down every word they say, so you have to take note of the most important things said.
All in all, Turchi did a great job of showing how maps are not just pieces of paper, but have stories behind them and the journey that took place. Additionally, he uses Mark Twain as an example to show he felt as if he had a purpose knowing someone was using his map as guidance. Finally, he shows how maps can teach valuable life lessons such as not to limit oneself to a predetermined limit, or else one will miss out on their full potential.
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