A few days ago while reading in the public library, I came across a collection of letters written by Mark Twain. In one of those letters he writes about an experience he had on a train bound for Washington D.C.

  According to his story, Mark Twain was quietly reading a newspaper when the conductor came down the aisle collecting passenger tickets. When the conductor collected the first two tickets, he noticed that those people were on the wrong train. A few seats later, as the conductor collected more tickets, he noticed that these people were on the wrong train as well. "It's a bit strange that so many of you got on the wrong train." the conductor said as he continued taking tickets.

  When the conductor got to the back of the railroad car he realized what had happened. Everyone had gotten on the wrong train!  Then it began to slowly dawn on him -- It was he who was on the wrong train.

   Mark Twain concluded his letter by saying that sometimes life is just that way - we assume everyone else is going in the wrong direction only to discover that in reality we are the ones who are on the wrong train.

  As we take our first few steps on this year's travels, it might be good to check to see if we have boarded the "right train".