Friday Playdate » Blog Archive » grace in small things: twenty two

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

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

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

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 onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

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

- Robert Frost

Today I have been thinking about Frost’s road less traveled, and about how I came to be here, in Oklahoma, yes, but also in this family and this life. And today I am thankful for the road, because without it, I might be somewhere else, which I cannot even imagine, as I tuck my children into their beds and settle in to share the night with my husband.

And I am grateful for the road that brought me here, and for the places it wound through on the way. It has, indeed, made all the difference.

1. Albuquerque, NM

2. Gambier, OH

3. Baltimore, MD

4. Columbus, OH

5. Tacoma, WA

16 Comments so far

I giggle every time I read that you lived in Tacoma (I went to the other liberal arts college in town, PLU), as I just can’t see you shopping at the Tacoma Mall. Even today, the don’t have a JCrew.

You lived in Baltimore? Dude.

And I follow this thought process every so often. Usually when I’ve started questioning some old decision. It’s nice to see that my life is good, so that decision was good in the long run.

As current resident of Pierce County and therefore a self-appointed representative of the area, I would like to say that even though I don’t “know” you, we miss you.

Also, we have an A.T. Loft in Gig Harbor now, (although yes, JCrew has yet to arrive.)

Of course, Nordstrom remains fantastic, especially now that it is in a brand-new building.

I recently blogged about this same subject. It’s been on my mind a lot, lately, after re-connecting with a friend from college who asked about all those dreams I had back then. Those dreams only came true in small parts, but other dreams replaced them and HAVE come true. It’s a really good place to be.

The path that brought me here was a long one (Charlotte, NC; Durham, NC; Sacramento, CA; Oscoda, MI; Abilene, TX; Wichita, KS; Columbus, GA; Boise, ID; Rapid City, SD; Springboro, OH). Wonder what direction we’ll go in next!

My list: Yakima, Prosser, Tacoma (all in WA.) Fort McClellan, just outside Anniston, Alabama; Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio,Texas; Fort Dix,Wrightstown, New Jersey; Sunnyside, Queens, NY; and back to Tacoma. I think that it is the people I met on my journey that have so changed me. The traveling while in the military made me more aware of my country, both strengths and weaknesses; however, it taught me the same thing about myself. I met my husband at Ft Dix and am truly grateful for that miracle of timing! NY was his home and a wonderful place to live, but I wanted to be near my family to raise children. (In wishing,be very careful!) I did college later than most and met wonderful people! All part of the journey! Now my daughter is living in Chicago, so I go there several times a year and LOVE it, for the art, the architecture and the people!

I too have moved sooooo many times already. I think we’ve dropped anchor for a while now. (I hope)

I love this poem, So Very Much, and I haven’t read it in longer than I’d like to admit, so, thank you. Thank you so much.

You came through Columbus, Ohio, at some point? I grew up there! And Gambier? Kenyon?

Tacoma! My hometown! I knew I liked you for a reason! Does #5 mean you started there, or just lived there for a time? another commenter suggested UPS for college, maybe?

Baltimore is a must-stop for any life trip. Kinda wish my family was still there, but then we wouldn’t be here now, so….

Now that I’ve been reading Chris’s list, I’m curious if her “move” has inspired your road less traveled post.

yes, but the poem is about debating suicide… ( big downer, to say the least..)

Loved this poem so much I tattooed it on my body. (Yep, not kidding.)

My list is shorter: Here. Then Phoenix, Arizona. Then back here. Then Aix-en-Provence, France. Then back here. AND SCENE.

But I still, like you, appreciate that the road brought me to this point in my life, and whenever I see my husband, I cannot help but be incredibly grateful I didn’t take any other path but the one I did =)

Don’t forget, Susan, that Frost is actually saying that the roads themselves are equal—it’s just his perception of them that makes them seem different…

“…Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black…”

This poem is Frost’s not-so-subtle reminder that life is what we make of it.

I love that poem. As far as having undertones of suicide, one could say that about several Frost poems, most notably Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. He’s not the fuzzy nature writer that some people seem to think… which is probably why his poems speak to so many of us. Ben is right, too; the paths are essentially identical…

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