The Road Less Traveled - Kit McCallum (Submitted by Fallon Negro)

How often we must bear the challenges of life;
The endless roller coaster between happiness and sorrow;
The constant ups and downs of daily strife.
And always the question remains... Why?

Life is not an easy road for most;
It twists and turns with many forks in the road,
Although always, and inevitably, we are given a choice..

Do we turn to the right... or the left?
Do we take the high road... or the low road?
Do we take the easy path... or the difficult one?

Decisions are not easy for those struggling for direction...
And sometimes the many choices and signs become overwhelming.

While standing at a crossroads in life,
The urge is to take the most comfortable path;
The road with least resistance...
The shortest or most traveled route.

And yet, if we've been down that comfortable road before,
Have gleaned its lessons in life, and learned from our experiences,

Do we yet again follow the known?
Or does our destiny lie in another direction?

The fear of the road less traveled is tangible and all too real;
It manifests itself in many ways,
And tends to cloud the issues that might otherwise be clear.

It is in these times of confusion,
That we must seek peace and solitude;

Time to contemplate on our life,
Our experiences and our choices past;
Time to look back, and reflect on what we have learned
Without fear or confusion.

For only each of us knows our own personal thoughts;
Our unique past and personal history;
The experiences that brought us to the crossroads we now face.

We can always learn a small degree from others' experiences,
And yet... no one person can walk in our shoes,
Others know not the trials and tribulations faced in private...

For each is individual...unique...and personal.

And that is way...while standing at a crossroads,
Only "we" can formulate the decision for ourselves;
The true direction that lies within;
The choices we must deliberate on with clarity and wisdom.

For it is only through personal reflection,
That we can now choose our destiny;
...Our next adventure;
...And the future we will embrace.