The Road To Nowhere

My travels during the recent Holidays from Toledo to Kansas City placed me on I-70 for incredibly long stretches of time. While I am thrilled that the Interstate system in the US is able to aid us in our journeys from point A to point B in the shortest possible time, there are times when this drive can be about as exciting as watching grass grow. 

Now I have nothing against the states of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, as I was born in one of them and lived in another for years. That doesn't mean however that I am willing to spend what seemed to be an eternity crossing them. (By the way, for anyone who is into true self-mutilation, you should try the drive from Lubbock to Dallas. The drive is just about as long, and may be the only one in the country more boring. The land is so flat and featureless that there are times that you have to pray to whatever Deity you believe in to either take your life and end the mindless tedium of the drive, or at least provide you with a tree as scenery to break the monotony.)

Unfortunately, there are some days when I think that my entire journey through life is taking much the same path. I don't remember which turn I made that put me on the road that I am on today; but I can't say that I am entirely pleased with the scenery on the journey, or the fact that the destination and the purpose that were once so clear to me appear to be no longer known. Perhaps I simply fell asleep behind the wheel at some point and have awakened briefly now only to see Rod Serling waving at me from the roadside.

Don't get me wrong here, this is not a cry for sympathy for myself or anyone else finding themselves on such a journey. No, this is instead a warning. While there are many GPS systems today that can be used to guide us, step-by-step, from point A to B in our travels by car, there is no such system to help us on the journey we make of our lives. Use this if you will then, as a sign post on your journey of life. It may read "Winding Road Ahead", "Beware of Falling Rocks", or even "Dead End"; I'm not really even sure myself. It is however, a sign that points to a road ahead with many hazards. Take heed of the danger, keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel.

"Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything." 

- Charles Kuralt