Traffic Pt 2: The Road Less Traveled

So I've been driving this same car for 27 years. Low miles, no dents, title reads "One Owner."I've driven down some highways and bi-ways, and freeways and interstates. Back roads where I have to watch out for random deer jumping out at me. Gravel roads where the rocks jump up and hit your car and make your tires dirty. I've driven down roads that were easy to navigate. And I've taken some wrong turns that made the navigation system say, "Girl, WTF are you doing? Make a U-turn!" But, no matter what, I've always been able to make it home safely.

Recently, I found a new route to take daily. I was nervous at first but a few folks told me that this new route was a good idea. That it was an easier path to follow. Some others warned me that just because it seemed like a good idea, maybe it wasn't. Maybe I should stick to the way I've always been driving, rather than taking the road less traveled. But I wanted to experience a new journey so I hopped in my car and was ready for the ride.

At first, my new roadway was everything I needed. No stoplights, smooth pavement, and beautiful scenery. Most of the time, it was smooth sailing down my new street. But there was a problem. It seemed like every other day there would be a stalled vehicle on the road that blocked me from the destination. The same car kept breaking down in the middle of the street. I couldn't get around it so I would have to either wait for the emergency vehicles to come get it, or take another way home. I decided to just take a different way home and opted to just try again another day.

The next day, I drove down my street with no problems. The day after that, there was that car again. The issue went on for weeks. I wrote to my local alderman and asked that the car be banned from the street but I was told there was nothing they could do because the other car had been driving down that street for 2 years before I had so they had every right to be there, no matter what inconvenience it may cause me. I was hurt. My beautiful avenue had now turned into a nightmare on Elm St.The other day I tried to drive down my street and there was way too much traffic, too many other cars trying to take the same route that I had grown to love. These other cars caused too much commotion and confusion and pollution for my beloved little street. But I guess I'm on the only that cares about keeping out neighborhoods beautiful. So I put my car in reverse and waved goodbye to my boulevard of broken dreams. The journey was fun while it lasted.

So now, I'm back to basics. I have begun to drive my old faithful path to work everyday. No frills, no thrills; just the road and me. No stalled cars, no heavy traffic, no potholes. Sometimes I think about that new road I used to drive down. But I don't regret wasting my time going that direction, and I'm grateful for the experience of that journey.I guess the most important thing was that I never got lost taking that new path and could always find my way home.

Maybe the next time I want to go on a funky expedition, I'll just walk.