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I sit on my porch tonight as the day wanes. The park below me is strangely silent. As I sit here enjoying the quiet evening, I am reminded of the arching summits of home.
No, not the home I have now, but that one that I used to know.
The noise of traffic on the distant interstate drifts to me, it’s a lonely, faraway sound that takes me down memory roads—roads I’ve not traveled in a long time.
There was the band back in the 1990s, Toad the Wet Sprocket, which had many songs I loved. One song in particular seems to beckon to me tonight with its haunting phrase:
“You can take me down, you can show me your home. Not the place where you live, but the place where you belong…”
Have you ever thought about your past? Your present? The future that lies with uncertainty before you at the dawning of the new day?
Tonight I contemplate the life I have—opposed to the one that could have been—the roads we take lead us to destinations we had perhaps not previously intended.
They lead us to here.
They lead us to now.
Though perhaps not always what we intended, they can lead us to something good.
6 comments:
Totally needed this.
I've been pondering on the same idea lately...
It is true what you say about roads we travel on and those not taken. Brings to mind Frost's words... "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." It is amazing how one decision here, and another there can change the course of a life in subtle, yet profound ways.
While I might wonder how my life would be if I had taken a different path, I would not trade the experiences I have had or the people I have met - for they have made me who I am today - for better or for worse - but hopefully most of all - for good.
To answer your questions about thinking about the past, present, & future- I do...all of the time! Probably more than I should. I wonder where my life could be if I had taken a different path and marvel at where the one's I've trod have taken me.
Life may not be as you thought it would, but I, for one, am glad that the paths you took brought you to us. :)
BTW- I listened to Keane twice yesterday. Watching your video made it a third. You have great taste in music. ;)
I do catch myself thinking about the past and the future, but have found that contentment lies in the precious present. There is a book by that same name, "The Precious Present" written by Spencer Johnson. I think you would enjoy it, your class might enjoy it too. My dad gave it to me about 20 years ago now (I can't believe it's been that long!). It will take you about 10 minutes to read. The irony now is that my Dad gave me that book many years ago, but today he has Alzheimer's and his contentment truly does lie in the present. Ten minutes ago are forgotten to him. We seek to help him find contentment in what is happening at the moment. Anyway, the little things all around us need to be captured and cherished. ~ I'm not where I intended to be at this point in my life, but I'm right where I need to be.
There are many people who are thankful for the path that brought you to be a teacher.
I think we all wonder exactly where we belong at one time or another in our life.
There is great truth in what you have written.
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