Staying the course

Ah, the speed bumps of life.  We shouldn't be surprised by them, but they seem to come out of nowhere, at least for me.  And so today, I find that getting back on my true path involves taking one of those dirt-road short-cuts of which I'm so fond (although I know they are a little harder on the car!) I can see where I'm heading, and I know I'm on the right road, but wow, is this stretch bumpy!  The decision I need to make now is whether to press on ahead or whether to turn around and try to get to my destination via an unknown, long, meandering paved road.

I like this metaphor, so I'll keep going!  Were this a real road, with a real destination in sight, I can almost picture in my mind who, of my friends and acquaintances, would say, "I'm outta here.  This is impassible.  I'm going around."  I can also picture a very few people who would say, "Well, I'm almost there, and it's going to be just as bad turning around.  I'll just keep going."  Finally, I can picture some who would stop at the edge of the pavement and call to me to turn around and come back, that it's not safe, it's hard on the car, I'll break something, etc.

A very similar situation exists anytime anyone takes off down a new path or road in life.  If it's a new and different road, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to know what the conditions are up ahead.  There has to be some trust in the map and in the road signs, that this indeed is the quickest way to the destination.  There will always be those believe that pavement represents infinite security, even if the smoother road doesn't really head in the right direction...or turns out to be crumbling....and who will call out "Come back!  This is a much better road, or at least a less bad one!"  The fact of driving on pavement becomes more important than reaching the destination. 

I'm finding that by doing a 180-degree turn in my life, I have left most of my friends and acquaintances back on the paved road, and that can make for some lonely moments.  As part of my journey along this sometimes-bumpy shortcut, I'm learning to keep my eyes open for fellow or potential travel-mates, those who have the same sense of impatience with the long and winding paved road that I do, and those who are able to look down the short-cut and say, "It definitely has some bad spots, but it's do-able."  There are fewer of those fellow life-travelers out there, but I will find them, and they are precious to me. 
Beep!  Beep!