ENDURE: October 11, 2013

Journey versus Destination

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.....and sorry I could not travel both......

If you're a fan of old, famous poetry, you may have recognized that line as the first words of the old Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken" (an all time favorite for many) which describes the difficult "fork in the road" decision and the anguish in determining the right choice. It paints such a vivid picture for me, someone who is really struggling to decide which choice to make, never quite knowing which of the two similar looking paths is the right one, which "road" is right to travel that day.  

But is anyone really struggling with this anymore? It seems that so many people are so busy and so focused on the destination that they can't even begin to think about the route.  They're simply plugging their destination into something that runs like a GPS and following - turn, by drone-like turn.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm as big a believer in goals and plans-to-attain as anyone, and I LOVE the convenience of plug and play......but in Frost's view of the world, the journey itself was the achievement and the destination didn't matter as much.

In a book I recently finished, this is a central theme.  Thanks to Lindsay (by way of Joe), I was handed a copy of a book about Cliff Bar and Company, and told: "you would really like this, this guy is your kindred spirit".  In the book, Gary Erickson (CEO/Founder of Cliff Bar & Co.) talks about the difference between "red roads" and "white roads"'; red being the color of the superhighways on most maps and white being the colors of the lesser known roads.  He talks about the red roads being built for speed and getting from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient manner, where the white-roads are more likely to go through towns, allowing the traveler to see the character of a given area.  

As I got through each chapter, I thought about how many folk are crammed onto the red-roads of health and prevention and how few are traveling the scenic byways.  The superhighways of prevention look more like rush-hour than two roads that diverged in the woods.....so many folks are so concerned with the destination that all they can focus on is gripping the wheel and not rear-ending the many other things they're juggling should the inevitable tap on the brakes occur, a pace that is exceptionally hard to keep up over the long-term.

However, now and then I get to meet someone who is so clearly on the scenic road, and enjoying the journey that they inspire everyone around them.  Safety at work is not their "goal".....it's just the way they do things; Health is not the end-game, it's the prerequisite for an adventurous life.  I spoke with a friend today who was knocked off his journey some.  He was working through a reasonably minor injury, but one that had a big impact on his routine and journey.  In talking to him I could hear the anguish in his voice; he was really struggling with what the best steps would be to get back on the journey.....how to still enjoy the journey, even if it would take a little longer than he expected to get to his destination.

Wouldn't it be great to enjoy the journey like that? You know, not to worry about where we're headed, but more about what path we're on and the direction we're heading.  Wouldn't it be great to not struggle over the speed at which we're getting to the finish line, but rather over which road to take when we're faced with a fork in the road?  To me, that's much closer to the definition of a healthy and safe lifestyle.

There's something to be said for enjoying the journey. For some it's more than a routine, it's a way of life.....and much like taking the road less traveled by, it might just make "all the difference".  

May the road on your journey rise to meet you.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.