Every day that I walk down to work in the tea house, the winding muddy path through the woods, my own road less traveled, these words run through my mind.
I know them in every cell of my body.
I know the conventional me that I could have been, should have been in the eyes of the world - the PhD, the job in academia, having a proper job, not getting married too young, or having kids too young, for that matter. I certainly should have had them in a hospital, and not breastfed them half too long. And once I had kids the pressure to "just" be a mother started. The pressure to be a good woman, take care of my family and let my own dreams slide.
I know all this.
And give thanks for the courage it has taken, to walk the road less traveled.
Have you taken the road less traveled in your own life?
Was it worth it?
Or if not, how might you take the first step down it?
Ditto. My own road less travelled is very similar to yours. I know the courage it takes to keep the faith but there's no comparison to living your life your own way. I like the Emerson quote "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail". Happy adventuring... x
ReplyDeleteHave definitely taken a road less travelled and it comes with plenty of challenges particularly as my own road has to balance with my husbands and my four home-educated children's paths. It's exciting though and you have to be true to yourself and keep chasing those dreams x
ReplyDeleteLOVE that quote Hannah! He is one of my all time favourite writers - and I'd never heard it before! That's a definite steal!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela- ditto!
it's amazing how less travelled our roads are. Without trying too hard, we weave our own path, because trying to get onto the motorway just isnt what we want. I live in the countryside, a dream I;ve had since I was little. I walk my dog down a hedgerowed lane, our waste water goes into a sesspit, we use eco friendly cleaning products cos my skin doesnt like the others, and I buy ethically when I can. I have never wanted a career, just enough money coming in to keep food in the cupboard and warmth in the hearth. Its not an easy path, but I wouldnt divert, or change route just to keep up with the rest! We dont have TV, we have a TV set where we watch decent DVDs not the crap they churn out. our children listen to a wide range of music, choose their own clothes and are developing their own path! I dont home educate, because the school they go to is a nice small one, with good input from parents. This is the life I lead, not appropriate to most, but I like it! this is the path i choose! sometimes a stone gets lodged in my foot on this crazy path, but I see those as reminders of how lucky I am to have an un"tarmac"ked, pre planned route.
ReplyDelete((HUGS))
Prompted by your post, I've been thinking about this poem all day. I'm not even really sure which roads I've travelled and not, but I often find myself at crossroads. I sense another one is coming up around the next bend. A big one. It seems just right you posted this today and I really like Mrs T's comment! Hi Mrs. T, whoever you are! You sound like someone who knows and lives in her own skin. This is no small feat. (or feet, I suppose, if we're talking about travelling roads).
ReplyDeleteOur path weaves its way around sometimes following the paths a lot of people tread, sometimes wandering off it to make our own route or follow a less-well trodden one. We see what we like about the each path and if it matches the time and situation. Sometimes crossroads are exciting, sometimes scary, sometimes both! Some of our friends' paths overlap ours, so we don't seem as "alternative" to them as to others.
ReplyDeleteMrs T- we don't have a TV either (we occassionally watch things on Iplayer/downloaded) and people find it intriguing! "But what do you do with your evenings?!" they ask, baffled. "Erm, well getting the little one ready for bed is sometimes no mean feat, we talk, use the internet, read, knit, maybe speak to family on the phone, maybe give each other a massage if we've the energy..." It's not like it's a sacrifice for us but we get some crazy "you-really-live-in-the-dark-ages" looks!
Mo <3