Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Road Not Taken

I would like to share this poem with you and would like to know whether you have any regrets in life for not taking that road or do you feel that you should have taken it.

The Road Not Taken (1920)
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;
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 on to 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 -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


For me, I guess I have always taken the road less travelled by others and I have a mixed feeling regarding the choices that I had made. I did my engineering studies in India and I did get married to my girlfriend from India, It was against the wishes of my family and I have no regrets on this matter as I believe I was destined to do so but it was a lonely road for both of us.

I also took the road that most family man would not take by opting to work overseas and I am away from my family for the past 6 years(I am going back home for good next month). The salary was good, but what I had missed out is being there with my children when they were growing up as now they are in their teens and pretty soon they would be leaving abroad for their further studies. I can only justify myself by saying that it is a tradeoff that I had to do for a better standard of living.

If I had my chance to turn back time, would I have not taken the road, then how would things unfold. Because time lost I know I cannot regain back. Are we destined or guided to take the Road Not Taken by some unknown force?

©sukku2008

2 comments:

Shree said...

When I sit back and reflect on some decisions that I've taken in my life, I tend to think about the
'Road not taken'.

Nevertheless there is also the realization that I ' have miles to go before I sleep!'

Sukku said...

Shree thanks for visiting and yes we do regret if we don't take that road but sometimes taking that road itself is a cause of heartache and what not. But I guess you many roads to take....