I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~Robert Frost, the last stanza from The Road not Taken
I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of destiny. I think that we are the architects of our lives, based on the decisions we make, the passions we pursue and the roads we travel. And yet, there's an element of fate to life too.
An old flame recently stumbled across Motherly Law, and sent me a message after realizing a post he'd read was written by me. It has been years since we've had any conversation. It took me back to college and the road I took to get where I am today.
I realized that if it hadn't been for my former boyfriend, I doubt I would have met my husband. In high school, I made the decision to follow him to the university he had chosen the year before. I applied only there. I had no desire to go anywhere else.
Fortunately, it was a good school. It was in the city where my husband grew up. It was his choice for college too.
Eventually, the relationship that had brought me there ended and I met my husband, but if it hadn't been for a couple of friends urging me to go out with them one evening, I may not have ever spoken to this cute, skinny freshmen {I was an older, more mature sophomore at the time}.
And if it had not been for my gutsy resolve to call that cute, young {but spineless when it came to calling me} freshman, we may not have ever spoken again.
And if it had not been for all of these things, there are two little boys who would have never existed.
Life is full of "if it hadn't been for this, then this would or would not have happened" kinds of circumstances. So, are we predestined to be or go or do certain things? Can you escape your destiny by making different choices?
This reminds me of a conversation my brother and I once had. These kinds of questions lead to more questions and each answer leads you to the original question; it's like spinning in circles on ice. These are questions I can't answer.
But I can connect the dots. And these dots will eventually form the picture of my life. Over and out...
Nota Bene: It's worth reading The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost in its entirety. It seems like such a simple poem; it's one we know the lines to, but there are many layers there; definitely food for thought. This is one of my favorite poems; one I like to contemplate as I pass milestones and make choices as life trudges on.
Anna
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