I must admit I get intrigued by trails that veer off from the main road. Many times I ‘try’ them out to see where they lead… at the same time I always keep the main road in sight so that if this new track isn’t what I thought or want I can easily return. You can also make some what I call refinements from following an off trail. These can give you new perspectives and new methods of seeing and walking on your road. Off trails will always impact on your road whether or not you decide to investigate them.
Sometimes these ‘off trails’ are larks, sometimes they have extremely difficult terrain but sometimes they become a real jewel. After some minor scraped knees I’ve learned that when I find that the trail goes downhill I know that eventually there will be an uphill so I have a decision to make. Sometimes I only follow these trails for awhile to see if they add to what my main road is leading me toward. I always seem to be the richer for having taken the off trail.
I suspect the level of ‘hurried-ness’ impacts on taking off trails. A few years ago I gave up being hurried – whether by me, events, or others. If you rush into making a decision, too often you end up rueing it. But… is the reason you haven’t tried the off trails… fear? Are you so captured by the road you are on that any deviation is a hindrance? Is it critical for you to be at a certain place by a certain time? What would be your ‘obstacle’ to taking an off trail?
A ‘change in the scenery’ (part of my definition of off trail) can be a positive thing. It can give you the opportunity of determining if where you are headed is where you want to go. Perhaps it can give you a different way of looking at the road you are on. It can tell you what is missing from your current direction. Or… it can confirm that where you are and what is happening is precisely what you want. And that is always a positive. Never be afraid of the different, the off trail… it can be most enlightening, not the least of which is about you and your character.
… but, what do you think?
