The Road Less Traveled

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

A Spectacular Drive
Richard B. Russell Scenic Byway, Georgia



Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

Quiet Morning Road, Murphy, North Carolina



And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

S Curve
Die Bend Road, Murphy, North Carolina



I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Appalachian Trail
Newfound Gap, Tennessee

This poem has long been one of my favorites, and I know that it has been interpreted many ways by many people. I think, however, for me it speaks of the past and the future. I am generally not one to over-analyze writings. In fact, in high school I can distinctly remember doing just that always removed some of the interest stories held for me. But this year has been one of looking back at the past and moving into the future for me, so perhaps I am a bit more sentimental than usual.

It is the past that shapes who we are. I am who I have become because of the people and events that happened in my life. Each seemingly small thing creates another facet in my life. As I get older each year, I can begin to understand more and more why the aged spend so much time living in their past.

The past too becomes rosier and rosier in our view with the more time that goes by. But I think that is also how it should be. I once read of a woman who for unknown medical reasons could not forget her past. She remembered every event, every date it happened, just like it was yesterday. I cannot imagine living with that.

It is time that heals all wounds, "they" say, whoever "they" is - and for the most part this is true. But I know that it is also hope for the future that helps us to move on. I found this out for myself the hard way in 2007 when forced to overcome some severe difficulties. Finding hope when you can't see any is hard, and I would not have been able to overcome anything at all without faith, family, and friends to help me along.

Lastly, I would like to say that I am very grateful to Tracy Ruckman for the opportunity she has given me this year, to share my thoughts and opinions,and to sharpen my writing skills. Thank you, Tracy! I only hope something I have shared has effected positively someone's life as much as writing it has affected my own.

Merry Christmas and best, happiest wishes to all in 2009!

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Suzanne Williams Photography
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/swilli41/www
Florida, USA