The Dagwood Sandwich of Happiness

Of late I have been on vacation travelling and learning, with not a lot of time for considering things. This is not always bad, because, like most of the time when you are not paying attention, ideas can just come to mind. You know, you go, you eat, you sleep, you say "oooh" at the cool stuff. So, I thought I would blog and entertain you with my mindless ramblings- look away now!
At what point in your life do you look around and say, "This is it. I have finally achieved inner peace! Woohoo!" If you are like me you are always thinking of the tasks at hand, with the fuzzy end of life goal somewhere off in the distance. You focus on your career, or your family, buying a new car, a new house, moving, divorcing, birthing, dying, church picnics, summer camp. You complain about how this person never stops saying this or how you think this should be different- you exist, you live, you think. And at the end, in a fuzzy sort of final solution format is the goal: Inner Peace, Happiness, Completeness. The ever present question for me has always been- how do I get there? And the answer is always, you just do.
So, as I was out walking and looking around at some of the incredible vistas and sights this country has to offer it occurred to me in my pseudo-philosophical way: you don't get there, you are there. The people, places, events and accomplishments can be things that make our lives rich. But at the same time, we can have all of these and still not have that end goal. It seems that these elements are not really the pathway but more, the bread, sandwich meat, lettuce, tomato and cheese of our lives. It is true that they can enrich it, but they can also distract from it. I think that for me at least, inner peace will not be found in my giant perfect concoction of a great Dagwood sandwich, but rather, in the way I am able to view myself and those around me before, during and after consuming such a delicious treat.