The Road Taken

Earlier this year, I was travelling back home with my Dad, after an examination. I was supposed to catch a train at 4pm, and we chose a mini-bus to travel for around 110 kms and reach the railway station. Once our journey started, in the very initial phase itself, we could understand that it was not going to be easy for us to reach the station on time. We tried to put forward our concern to both bus conductor and driver, but they kept on assuring us that they would make up the time by the end. When we reached halfway, we did not just have a doubt, but were fully confident that it would be impossible for us to reach on time. 

Since our doubt arose, I continuously kept consoling my Dad that we should be leaving the mini-bus and taking a big bus which we could notice was easily available on the same route. Until the last hour of the journey, I kept trying my best to make him decide to take the reliable option whether or not we got the refund as it was hardly 30 % of the cost of our confirmed railway tickets. But unfortunately, he could not make that one simple decision. And then, yes, we missed the train.

What I am trying to explain is not about my Dad's fault, nor am I even trying to complain about it. But there is this reality check of "the road taken". When we choose our path, it becomes our path. When we don't choose a path, it doesn't become our path. Sounds simple, right?

But what if I ask, what if we are given a path?  Will it really become our path?

No doubt, one could make the path given to him/her his/her path but again, "choice" comes into play.

That is, whether someone chooses to make the path given to him/her as his/her path or not.

That day, it was my Dad who gave his choice of not shifting to a different vehicle.

I was given his choice to follow and I did. I chose his choice as was given.

Even when I was confident that his choice will fail me.

Even when I could see the right choice moving just parallelly.

Even when I knew we were going wrong.

In life, we are often given others' choices to adopt as our own. Those too are valid choices of important people, but the point isn't about whether their choices matter or not. They do matter. But, if you have well-aware and conscious choices for yourself, they are not meant to be simply stored. They are meant to be enacted upon, with or without any external validation. Remember, your choices only seek your validation. Not because their validation is not important, but because it is not easy to make others envision your vision. Because it is really easy to be misunderstood rather than understood.

The Road Taken only applies when it is you taking the road, you making the choice.

Yes, it only becomes your path when it's you choosing the path.

Because...

A given path could be walked on, but never owned.

Your path is your purpose.

← Back to Blog