The photo above was sent to me today by Patti Ives. The trail through the Lamoille Canyon, located in the Rubies Mountains in Nevada, “goes for miles and miles.” In the past years, she has sent me photos of the Rubies in the spring, in the fog, and in the winter, when they are snow-capped.
Looking at the trail caused me to think of words and thoughts about paths, related to life, as expressed in poems and songs. Paul McCartney’s song, “The Long and Winding Road,” was the first that came to mind. The popular song, “Every Step You Take,” also pops into my brain. Robert Frost’s perennially pertinent poem about life’s choices is one of my favorites:
“The Road Not Taken.”
To go astray in a moral sense is sometimes described as “losing one’s way,” or becoming “wayward.” Christians recall the words of Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” The word “path” is frequently used to describe a desired state of being as in “the path to recovery,” “the path to wellness,” and “the path to discovery.”
For those of us who “walk the earth,” I suppose that life itself is a trail. Some of us who, unlike Hansel and Gretel, forget to leave bread crumbs on that trail, may never find our way home through the woods again.
For the Indians/Native Americans who endured a forced march from Georgia to Oklahoma during which many of them died, their final journey was indeed, the so-called, “Trail of Tears.” There is a famous painting called, “End of the Trail,” that portrays an Indian warrior with his head hanging down.
We talk about trying “to find our way.” Roy Rogers was well known for his song, “Happy Trails to You” ( … until we meet again”).
Some of us don’t like “one way streets,” especially in relationships. Often, we say that we are “at a crossroad,” when it is time to make an important decision.
Trails, Ways, Paths, Roads, Streets, Crossroads … the associated imagery always conveys choice. Sometimes, if we choose one thing, we preclude the possibility of choosing the other. In the end, we have to hope that, like Frank Sinatra, we can say, “I did it my way.”
Patricia Cummings
Many thanks to Mike and Patti Ives for the beautiful photo!
