The Road Not Taken

I walked in on a conversation recently -- my whereabouts irrelevant -- and I heard an articulate middle-aged man talk of the road not taken. It was the very end of the conversation and the thoughts of his friends hung in midair. It was the tone with which he spoke that ignited a curiosity in me, and questions of whether that meant there was anything left unresolved in my own life. Every single one of us has come to a crucial moment at a crucial time in our lives where a major new life direction presented itself to us, and we had all the freedom and means to take it, but decided it was not worth the risk; too many dangers living in the trees alongside the road. So we decided, as unsure as we were, to take a different path instead. Boiling down to the argument of fate, I believe that everything happens for a reason; good or bad, and never questioning its practicality has recently bestowed upon me a queer sort of calm and serenity. I enjoy living in the moment, appreciating life day by day and little by little working towards success and happiness. I believe it is possible to embrace this baseless belief system and still be haunted by the echoes of the past. The echoes cry from a time before the belief system, a time when taking matters for granted was an often occurrence. It is wonderful when things in your life come full circle and they are far more beautiful now because of the time lapse and distance. Reforming those relationships or circumstances in a more positive and secure place solidifies the belief that everything truly meant to be will be when the time is right. The moment any seeds of wonder plant in your mind, the lingering of yesteryear will remain. Slight emotional itches until the closing of the circle or until you have found confidence, happiness and purpose in your present. Most circles in life never close. You take the alternate route and wish all those in the rearview well, then the construction of time builds over it and it becomes impractical to try to force its recovery after so long. It is a hard thing to be uncertain if you made the right decision then, especially when you feel lost in your present. Astray in your present, you cannot count on the circle coming to a close, even decades from now. The idea of fate is that all things are predetermined, but I feel that is only if you are making no conscious efforts to go against any grains. Inherently, our freewill throws many variables into the equation of fate, and accepting the responsibility of the willful choices progressively leads to the acceptance of responsibility to achieve reason and confidence in the present. Making your own luck is a beautiful and empowering thing, as well as a necessity when you have refused travel down all other paths. The roads you travel are your own, but the directions you decline must ultimately lead somewhere else, or to perpetually coast on an apathetic cruise control. To make use of your freewill and to go against the directions of fate stamps a certain responsibility to live excitedly and forge a path that happily makes up for the one you declined. These recent years have taught me that the only way to make up for unshakable regrets is to make them particularly relevant. To accept the past as something that will only come back to me if absolutely necessary, and to hold on to the values gained and the lessons learned since have given me strength to accept my past, bask in my present, and be ever wondering of my future. I, too, am guilty of remorse for the road not taken, and I owe it to myself not to allow the untaken road to be a symbol of regret. I have neglected to travel certain paths in life, for various reasons, and it has become my responsibility to make sure those reasons have a relevant purpose. I am fortunate enough to have notable memories of my past become beautiful realities once more in my present. This good fortune has inspired me to hold on to the belief that everything significant happens for a reason in its own time, but it has also opened my eyes to the chances we take. I have learned to be more aware of what I take for granted, and I have learned to ask myself if I am prepared to spend the rest of my life without it. The road not taken will always be a twinkle in the further parts of our minds, but it is the past. The road not taken will always serve as a source for unabated imagination on a long flight or in a rainy café. To find the obsession of yesteryear dominating your happiness is an indication that perhaps it is time to make some peace, create some luck and dare to imagine the possible roads ahead, resolving to take nothing for granted in the shortness of life. A cherished loved one of mine told me that “you always have a choice if only of attitude“, and that spoke to me deeply when I wrote this. I choose to have a good attitude and a stronger appreciation of life, doing my very best to take nothing for granted. In the end, I choose to make my own luck and I have no desire to take part in mourning for an unspoken past.