Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
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.
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
I started this blog nearly six years ago now. It began as an exercise in writing; in allowing a shy young woman to express her thoughts in a safe medium. As I have grown, I find that I no longer have needed such as outlet. I have grown from a self-conscious and anxious young woman to a mature adult who acknowledges her anxieties, flaws, and no longer has the need for validation from others.
When I started this blog, I titled it "Exploring the Road not Taken" as a reference to a much-beloved poem by Robert Frost. At the time, I thought I understood the nuances and message of the poem. Hindsight, however; always has a way of helping us to see that we understood so little and had much to learn in ensuing years.
I have changed the URL to my blog to reflect this growth in both mind and spirit. The curious thing about growing up is that our past never really leaves us. Every so often I experience dreams that remind me of the other "road."
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the road less traveled by..."
I once thought I took the one less traveled by, but as I get older I realize that I took the stable, safe route. This is not necessarily bad, as Frost points out "both that morning equally lay..." but it is a change from my younger self who saw the world as much more black and white and took the path that most obviously seemed to be 'right.' As I get older I realize that much of the world is found in variants of grey, and we have to be soft and forgive the shortcomings and past mistakes of other--and only then can we find happiness in our own lives.
I have not decided if this will be my final entry, or the beginning to a new series of musings--but I do know, as my dreams reminded me, that no matter how far forward we may go our past is always there. This does not mean it defines us, but we should not forget the way it has helped shape us. We are not the sum of our mistakes, and should not believe others are what they once were.
I tell this all with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages since. Should I have taken the road less traveled by? I am not one to dwell on what once was, but sometimes my dreams make me wonder.
Yet, all works out as it should be.
If you read to the end, thank you. I wish you well as you face your roads in this weary world.
