Crossroads are paradoxical shifts in the space-time continuum of people’s lives; and more often than not they don’t even realize they’ve been through one. That they’ve made a decision and have selected a different path and are now traveling at a rapid pace away from what they originally wanted and are ow heading toward a new destination which may not have been their ultimate goal. Missing the crossroads or being oblivious to the new direction has unintended consequences and by the time you comprehend that you’ve chosen the wrong dirt or grass or macadam road incorrectly, it’s too late to hit reverse and do it again. And other times, crossroads are very evident; smack-you-in-the-face-stand-there-and-stare evident.
Both types are equally self-destructive or enlightening. Just a lucky few get to stand in the middle one and are not be bothered by the swirling mist of times past. The how-you-arrived portion of your life. Mostly we stand and with squinted eyes looking back on what we’ve done and groan as we see the better solutions materializing or slap our heads in frustration because the reasoning and meaning behind actions crystallizes into a pure thought. Too many times we get caught up in the backward view and force the future to fit into the what-should-have-been category. There is a reason we’re supposed to see the past clearly sans blinders of everyday life – so we don’t make the same mistakes. Those who can’t take a safe and unbiased view of their past are the ones who fail time and again as they make the same choices and repeat patterns that have ended in misery.
After facing down the past, the dark oblique world of the future can be even more daunting. There is no mist, there is nothing but blackness. But the blackness isn’t a scary evil type, it is the unknown type. The dark that precedes the dawn. The dark that ebbs and flows as soft as a mountain stream. The dark that envelops us when we sleep, and offers a respite from the harrowing misery of the day, or a break from the joys of life. Few want to walk into the black without having some inclination as to what they face. As the preconceived notions of what we think will happen melt into a blur, and forces the dark to be a terrifying prospect, while not physically scary, it holds its own terrors. New roads and surfaces are forged in courage and those willing to move ahead and follow their own path, alone, are the visionaries.
Of course, as with any crossroads, there are the two divergent side roads. And this is where the devil stands. He of the big smile and easy laugh; ready to sell what you can not afford but so greedily want. Give me your soul, he says dripping with confidence and lust, and I will show you which path to take, which is the easiest version of life. It costs but little and I only collect when you die. Sometimes, taking his hand and letting him lead you down the “safe” road is the most comforting choice, there are no worries because you know the future and can apply the past. Everything is laid out for you, there are no surprises and you get what you want, not what you need. Those who take his offer, what they can’t see because the truth is too painful, already proffer their soul. These soulless wander aimlessly with no real goals or ambitions because the smiling man has paved their way into a life of meaningless movements one no better than the next.
So, as I stand now, facing the receding mists of a damaged past and the vortex of an empty future, I eschew the smiling man and keep my soul’s virtue intact. With a deep breath and facing forward with extreme trepidation I’m taking the first step on a road created by hope.
Both types are equally self-destructive or enlightening. Just a lucky few get to stand in the middle one and are not be bothered by the swirling mist of times past. The how-you-arrived portion of your life. Mostly we stand and with squinted eyes looking back on what we’ve done and groan as we see the better solutions materializing or slap our heads in frustration because the reasoning and meaning behind actions crystallizes into a pure thought. Too many times we get caught up in the backward view and force the future to fit into the what-should-have-been category. There is a reason we’re supposed to see the past clearly sans blinders of everyday life – so we don’t make the same mistakes. Those who can’t take a safe and unbiased view of their past are the ones who fail time and again as they make the same choices and repeat patterns that have ended in misery.
After facing down the past, the dark oblique world of the future can be even more daunting. There is no mist, there is nothing but blackness. But the blackness isn’t a scary evil type, it is the unknown type. The dark that precedes the dawn. The dark that ebbs and flows as soft as a mountain stream. The dark that envelops us when we sleep, and offers a respite from the harrowing misery of the day, or a break from the joys of life. Few want to walk into the black without having some inclination as to what they face. As the preconceived notions of what we think will happen melt into a blur, and forces the dark to be a terrifying prospect, while not physically scary, it holds its own terrors. New roads and surfaces are forged in courage and those willing to move ahead and follow their own path, alone, are the visionaries.
Of course, as with any crossroads, there are the two divergent side roads. And this is where the devil stands. He of the big smile and easy laugh; ready to sell what you can not afford but so greedily want. Give me your soul, he says dripping with confidence and lust, and I will show you which path to take, which is the easiest version of life. It costs but little and I only collect when you die. Sometimes, taking his hand and letting him lead you down the “safe” road is the most comforting choice, there are no worries because you know the future and can apply the past. Everything is laid out for you, there are no surprises and you get what you want, not what you need. Those who take his offer, what they can’t see because the truth is too painful, already proffer their soul. These soulless wander aimlessly with no real goals or ambitions because the smiling man has paved their way into a life of meaningless movements one no better than the next.
So, as I stand now, facing the receding mists of a damaged past and the vortex of an empty future, I eschew the smiling man and keep my soul’s virtue intact. With a deep breath and facing forward with extreme trepidation I’m taking the first step on a road created by hope.
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