Thoughts

"The Road Not Taken" 
- Robert Frost

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,
For it was grassy and wanted wear;
But 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.

I remember sitting in my American Studies Class as a sophomore in high school, dreading the concept of analyzing a poem of a dead guy. Coming up with the "meaning" of the poem seemed absolutely ridiculous to me. I have grown up since then. While I will still never pretend to understand what the author was thinking, I have my own understanding of things. Perspective, maybe is a better term.  

Robert Frost always confused me. But the Poem above seems to make more sense to me now then it could have in high school.  The naive high school me could only ever imagine one road. There is simply one road to follow and I would always know what it would be. Yeah I know.  I'm laughing at myself.  I knew I was going to be in nursing; I knew where I would attend college;  I knew I would be a nurse at the end. 

Since then I have often felt like the traveler. Coming up to a path that splits in two.  Each path taking me down a completely different road. One following "the plan." The other taking me into uncharted territory. While I wish sometimes I could go back to "the Plan." I would not give up the experiences that have changed me. I know more of me. Who knew right? 

I stand now, once again at a crossroads. Wanting so badly to go down the simple road. Just once. But that would be too boring. I'm always up for another adventure.