It was that holy traveller, Jack Kerouac, who first coined the phrase "the holy contour of life" and I think that this provides a fitting title for these reflections. We don't need a whole lot of knowledge or material possessions to lead a good and happy life. We are all of us on the same journey and all heading in the same direction. We need to recognise our fellow-travellers and try to enjoy their company. Life is a journey but its destination is spiritual not temporal. It is a process of self-discovery which requires us each to recognise their own personal destiny. A retired history teacher, David Conduct now lives in Durham where he taught for over twenty years. His studies have taken him through the universities of Hull, London, Warwick and Leicester, and his main academic interest lies in the history of ideas. This is his fifth book. When not working he can be found busking in the streets of Durham.