Road Not Taken

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.

Which road will you choose?

I love this poem. It is all about choices. We all face them. We all make them. The choices we make lead us down our life paths. When we face that point when the road we are on splits into two, three, even four roads, we have to make a choice. Later on, we may be tempted to glance back and say, “If only I had done…” or “What if I had…” However, a choice has already been made. Can you go back? Yes, sometimes you can retrace your steps and go back and choose another path. However, anything you have done en route cannot be undone. We must live with the choices we make and the rewards/consequences that come about as a result.

Another thing I love about this poem is the choice made.”I took the one less travelled by…” Wow. How many people choose to take the road no one else is on? Isn’t it easier to go with the flow? Give into peer pressure? Societal pressure? Familial pressure? Self-doubt?

I have to thank my father for the way I think about this topic. Growing up, I would often say, “That’s weird!” to which he would reply, “Well, what is normal? Who decides what is normal for you or anyone else?” We are conditioned to say “that’s weird” when someone does something different. We should be saying “that’s awesome” for that person having the courage to swim upstream against the judgment of those around them.

The choices I make are my own. I must live with the consequences. I will reap any potential rewards. Therefore, I strive to be true to myself and not give into the pressures of those around me. Do I always succeed? No. But I am getting better at it. If I decide to do something most people do not consider the “norm,” that is ok. I’ll take the road less travelled by…and for me, it has made all the difference.