s-t-r-e-t-c-h

I guess there are many ways to describe the same thing. I like the way Robert Frost put it in his poem:

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

Interpreting poetry is wonderfully subjective, and unlike intepreting say, the Bible, taking some liberties is more appropriate than heretical. Alas, right now this screams to me of the difficult, but right. The challenging, but necessary. In long, the choices in life that we must make to press ourselves forward into becoming better people. Sometimes I think we can interpret this "lyric" as a step of defiance, or independence. I choose to look at it, tonight anyway, like: working out or learning, not cheating on, well anything, apologizing, being the "bigger person". Most of all, perhaps, staying true to the cause, the vision, life's purpose, no matter the cost. Cryptic as this will remain, it seems I need to make more of an investment. X doubles at ten percent rate of return every seven years, but you must start with X. Time to stretch.