The Journey of Life Walk Way and the Seasons of Life symbolize the essence of LEAD. One way the symbolism is seen is that the Journey of Life Walk Way connects Hesston College, typically an abode of young adults just starting their journey, with Schowalter Villa residents representing the latter part of life’s journey. LEAD emphasizes older adult education and how we might better utilize this stage of life. But this is never in isolation. Indeed, it connects with youth. Youth and age contain each other. As Bianchi (1986:54) says in Aging as a Spiritual Journey:
In the depths of our psyches live an assortment of child images: the pouting, spoiled or hurt child, the spontaneous, resilient youth who is ever leaping beyond the confines of linear history to probe the senex, the wise old (person), awakening in us by our experience as elders, as well as by own immersion into the historical process of aging (which can provide wisdom or meanness of heart.
The Journey of Life Walk Way also symbolizes a point of emphasis in LEAD that the journey of life and the seasons of life, as noted above, are both linear and circular. The actual, physical walk way is linear in shape. It is circular in the design of the signage that describes the seasons of life.