Recently, two 30-somethings took me on some wild journeys through Spain and England. I had forgotten what it was like to go off-road, not knowing what lies ahead. Once, I went for a quick, solo walk and they had to rescue me from a street corner after over an hour of wrong turns! (In my defense, my Google GPS had not ‘updated.’) Still, it quickly became obvious that I’ve gone from gregarious, gallivanting girl to slow-motion, stuck-in-the-mud senior.
Like them, I often took “The Road Not Taken” in my youth. I was determined NOT to ‘follow the crowd.’ Once on a hiking trip with friends, we came to a fork in the road. Everyone else opted for the well-worn route towards the river. I decided to forge a windier route upwards. Though my path was steeper and less travelled, I was certain to beat the others to the waters’ edge.
The path began simply but after a few minutes became so narrow with branches and tree roots that I had to get on my knees and crawl upwards a few feet at a time. Suddenly, the trail widened! In my haste, I stood up too fast and slid backwards a foot. Had that not happened, my next full step would have been straight over the abrupt edge of a cliff that dropped several hundred feet into a rushing river!
My body went limp and my heart pounded. I was so close to the edge that I didn’t dare turn around and retreat. There simply wasn’t enough ground. Dizzying fear kept me from looking down again. Any lean forward would veer me over the edge. Holding my breath, I backed up inch by agonizing inch.
Roads are like people. You never quite know where they will lead. Some take you on wonderful journeys and offer splendid views. Others are dead ends. “Yet, knowing how way leads on to way,” we’re not likely to get a second chance at any journey. These days, I’m just grateful to still be ON the road!
My young companions took me to sights I would never have seen alone. Lucky me! I took them on a different adventure altogether: experiencing firsthand what it’s like to be 4 decades older, navigating the unknown. If they’re lucky enough to get here one day, the path just might not feel so foreign.
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