42 Roads

I've been re-reading the "Hitchhiker's Guide" series recently, as well as musing about the future in general. On a walk today, I drew an interesting connection. In "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," we learn that the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything is 42. That's a piece of nerd culture that's fairly well-known and appreciated by those who've read the books.

But then what is the Ultimate Question? Well, we don't ever find that out, but a suggestion is made:

How many roads must a man walk down?

So as I walked down Gayley, I thought about the other, more abstract roads I've walked in my life:

Some roads I've walked, in no particular order:

• Child


• Brother


• Soccer player


• Student


• Football player


• Taekwondo student


• Taekwondo instructor


• Writer


• A different road for every girl I've dated


• Computer Science major


• Math major


• Resident Assistant


• Tutor


• Web marketer


• Roommate


• UCLA Bruin

There are more of course, but these are just the ones that came to me immediately. But I do know I have yet to walk my 42 roads - there are many more to come. I may never again walk some of the ones above, yet there are others I'll constantly return to (and indeed, some I'll never leave).

Of course, the book is just a work of fiction (albeit a VERY good one), but I still like the general idea that you must walk 42 roads in your life (though I suppose more is perfectly acceptable). It just brings me comfort to look at that list above, and know that I have many more roads, many more journeys, many more experiences left.

I plan to walk my 42 roads. I hope everybody else does the same.