Somewhere along the walk, I came to a point with forks in the trail. There was one that was clearly marked “To the Abbey”. Then, there were 2 other trails that were unmarked and not even on the map. The first of the two was to my right and seemed to vanish into thick brush. The other looked like it went up a hill to my left. I made a decision to go up the hill.
I started on the trail and it kept going up. Tall trees lined the trail and the ground was covered by a thick carpet of leaves. The wind blew moderately through the trees, swaying them in a synchronized dance that rhymed with the song of the wind. It felt beautiful. Soon, I could see into a valley and bounding down was a big deer. It was so graceful. I kept moving, thinking I had made the greatest decision and totally enjoying the trail. It kept going up. Even higher, I saw another deer bound up and race towards a line of trees that seemed to crest the summit of another hill. The trees undulated gently, like they were opening up to accept the grace of the big animal. It vanished into them in a motion so fluid and graceful, it made me gasp. At this point, the trail had leveled out and I seemed to be at a summit. I was looking down into a beautiful valley. The trees and leaves reflected the midday sun into the most beautiful colors. I went around a bend and suddenly the trail came to a dead end. Just like that. It didn’t go any further. I looked all around to see if perchance there was a fork I had missed – nothing! There seemed to be no path through the thick brush and trees. The trail had ended.
I headed back and as I did, I thought about my decision to come up the trail. It made me think about the paths we sometime take that end nowhere. I thought of the pain and sadness they sometimes bring. However, I also thought of the experience. Then I realized that even though I had taken the path that lead to a dead-end, I had absolutely enjoyed the experience. That if I had to do it all over again, I would come up the trail without a second thought. That even though it had been a detour that lead nowhere, it had been most enriching and fun detour.
So on the journey of life, can one sometime just do a detour for the rich experience it might provide? Definitely! I think the whole journey is more about the experience than the destination. The whole journey is about taking chances and realizing that even if it leads nowhere, the experience might be enriching and fun. That one may get the chance to enjoy and appreciate some of all that life has to offer. To all that is a caveat – just make sure that you can find your way back to the path or a path that leads to where you ultimately are headed and that I think is where most get lost.