Road of Life

We often talk about life as a journey. It's a time tested metaphor.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. In Kansas we have lots of very straight roads, with a vanishing point on the horizon that seems like a straight shot. But, even those roads are full of bumps. And ruts.

Why is it so easy to get into a rut? The more you sink into it, the less you can move side to side, and the less chance you have of ever getting out of it. There's some comfort in the rut. You know what to expect, and you can judge it safe because it's where many before you have traveled, and where you seem destined to go.

When you do make a break for the high road beside the rut, it's a bumpy ride. There may be some slips and sides back into the rut, and you're messing with it for the other folks who have been your traveling companions there. You may be creating new paths out of the rut but you can also be smashing down the edges in places, making the rut even more restrictive.

It can take awhile to get on solid ground, where things are smooth again. Then, what happens, unless you keep seeking new ground? You make a new rut.

This seems to be one of the cycles of life, metaphor or not. I guess the trick is how to figure out when you're in a rut and when you're just content. They sound very different, don't they? Yet, it seems they would share many similarities.

I hope you didn't expect me to have an answer. I just have questions. Always questions.
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