Take A Different Road

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about the patterns I see in my life.  Often I find myself making the same mistakes and feeling out of sorts for the parallel results of these choices.  While I was doing my spring cleaning, I found a poem that a client/domestic violence survivor of mine gave me years ago.  As I unravelled this crumpled piece of paper, I realized it was exactly what I needed at the exact time in which I needed it.  It helped me remember that I am strong enough and wise enough to break any adverse pattern.  I am the only one who can take a different path.  Wanna know something else?  So are you!  Hope you enjoy...

Once upon a time, on a Monday, a man was walking down a road.  All of a sudden, out of nowhere, he found himself at the bottom of a big, dark place.  It was scary!  After several hours, he figured out that he had fallen into a very large pothole.  He wasn’t able to get out on his own–actually it required a lot of help to get out, but eventually he did get out.  It was awful.

The very next day–Tuesday, the man was walking down the road and fell into the pothole again.  This time he immediately recognized where he was, but he still couldn’t get out.  He needed help again.

Wednesday, when the man fell in the pothole for the 3rd time, he remembered how to get out, and–with much hard work–was able to get out on his own.  Whew!

On Thursday, the man was walking down the street again.  As he approached the pothole, he remembered his previous falls.  He even saw the pothole when he got close… but unfortunately he fell in anyway.  But he knew the way out pretty well this time, and got out quickly.

On Friday, the man saw the pothole from a good distance away.  He felt so proud of himself for spotting it, and while it took a lot of effort, he did manage to walk around it safely, and didn’t fall in for the first time in a long time!  Hurrah!

On Saturday, the man took a different road.

~Author Unknown