Road

There's a beautiful bit on my favourite jogging route where, even in the suburbs of London, you're surrounded by trees and it feels like the countryside is really close. It's peaceful and the traffic is barely heard. It's a gravel road, and reminds me of previous days where I wandered around the forests in Durham and loved hearing nothing.

I detested poetry at school. But I studied the famous Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken." Here's the third verse:

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

Naturally these words can be read in many different ways. But today I'm reflecting on this because when I do, I think of my wonderful friend who's just moved to the countryside. Her blog thoughts this week made me laugh so much (and I highly recommend you read them) but also made me reflect a little on how different our roads can be.

A bit of background information is required for my long standing friend. We went to primary school, secondary school and university together, although not intentionally. We've always had a lot in common but also some differences which always lead to excellent conversations. Yet our upbringings were largely the same and we've had the same education, albeit in different subjects. But after 17 years our roads look entirely different. 

So our road has diverged and we've made choices that have lead to this. Like Mr Frost, I doubt I'll ever walk backwards to that point. Our lives will probably continue to be very different. The roads will inevitably cross at points, and for that I'm thankful. But equally I'm struck by the uniqueness of individual life and how we shape our existence.

It's a massive responsibility and one which can feel quite overwhelming. I've been having lots of big conversations with friends recently, as we all choose our distinctive "grown up" roads and make decisions that are a lot larger than choosing what to have for dinner. 

But roads don't end with one decision, and I love what the continuous drive along them means. It's an adventure and an exploration which is forever changing as some join us and others leave. It gets bumpy at times, but the road is the one we've taken. I imagine this road is winding, and we can't always see what's next. But there will be smooth bits where we almost forget we're moving because everything is so enjoyable. That's the nature of the journey.

It's just that different humans travel different roads.

"Road (figurative): a particular course or direction taken or followed."