Forging a New Path

With each decision we make in life, we forge a path. As similar situations arise in our lives, we find that we've circled back around to a familiar path. This isn't a bad thing. Its familiar, and its known. We already have a pretty good idea of what we're going to see around the next bend. Sometimes, a new plant or tree will have sprouted and surprised us, but generally it looks the same.

The one path I seem to spend my life re-traveling has become a recent conundrum for me. This path is so worn and so predictable that I don't even need to bother walking around the corner to picture the vivid details of the terrain that will appear before me.

But this time around, I don't think its a good idea to continue along this path in my usual way. It's just a cop-out. It's safe. It leads me back to camp, it's the fastest way back, I'll learn absolutely nothing about myself if I take it, and before I know it, I'll be traveling it again.

I want to forge a new path.

The friends who are walking with me think I should take the regular path back to camp. They all have different reasons for wanting me to go the same way, and they all have different ideas of what the trees will look like around the next bend, but I don't think I should go that way this time.

I'm exhausted from walking, and I've paused to hear their concerns. I'm stubborn but I've learned from all of their persuasive arguments. I'll take their wisdom with me, but I'm still insistent on parting ways with this well-worn path.

I don't know how else to explain it... I just know that this time, for many reasons, I need to find a different way back to camp.