The Road Not Taken
I really like this poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.
Here is the whole thing (from Wikipedia)
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I didn't know about student loans when I was a student. I simply didn't go to see my advisor, because I thought I knew it all about school and the classes I wanted to take. Plus, I took some classes just because I wanted to.
Then I needed to graduate, and I had to see what I could do about that. So I graduated with a degree in English, and a minor in Art. This was not exactly what I wanted... I wanted to teach. But a teaching certificate was out of the question, because it was time to find a full-time job. Which I did.
Printing and newspaper work was really interesting, but I always wondered what teaching would have been like. So... MUCH later on, I actually took those teaching classes and tried it out.
I didn't want to be even older and say to myself, "why didn't I try that while I could?"
So I DID try it. It was not like I thought it would be, but I am so glad I did it. I learned so much, about teaching and the state of teaching today, AND about myself. I did it! And that felt so good.
Do you have a story like that? Have you stepped up and tried something out that used to only be a dream? Or maybe you have been on another road, and want to try The Road Not Taken, and now is the time you can finally do it, or have learned enough to help yourself actually DO it.
If you are trying something out and you have had a break from school, you CAN go back. Just listen to other people who have done it, and get some inspiration from that. You can also start a group at school and make friends there. Or join a Nontrad group. There are several listed at the end of this blog posting.
As Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "The Sky's The Limit." What's your story? Are you back in school, helping those who are, or thinking about going back?
Leave a comment!
Later,
-Betsyanne
Here are some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter
Want to find out more about Dr. Wayne Dyer? Here is his website: http://www.drwaynedyer.com/
This beautiful photo is from Mimiliz at Morguefile: http://www.morguefile.com/creative/mimiliz. It does not look like this where I live... but some of the leaves are gently turning now, after a long Indian Summer.
I love this poem too (over here it's called 'The Road Less Travelled). It is so inspirational - as is your teaching story. You're right, it is never too late and that's exactly why I'm at uni at the ripe old age of 41!!! I'm usually the oldest student in class but instead of being embarrassed, I'm actually proud and hope I am an inspiration to others who want to do the same but think they can't.
ReplyDeleteRobert Frost's poem is one of my favorites. I was 42 when I walked into my first college class. I could have been embarrassed by being the oldest person there, but I was too excited to think about it. College had been a dream of mine for many, many years. Thanks to a high school counselor who convinced me I was not college material, I didn't try sooner. Wish I could see her today, and show her my four college diplomas! Maybe she and others like her wouldn't try so hard to destroy other's dreams!
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