The road less traveled...

“Two roads diverged in the woods, and I……..
I took the less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference!”

Robert Frost wrote these beautiful and inspiring lines which never fail to imbibe in the reader a confidence to go on with his / her decisions. Even though the decisions might not adhere to the rules and restrictions laid down by the masses.

How very unfortunate it is that the likes of me (even though I am also deeply inspired by these lines) whose mind is full of mischief can easily make out an entirely opposite translation or interpretation of such a masterpiece. Well, taking the less traveled path does indeed make a difference, but had it not been good if only the poet would have specified the difference to be on the positive side.

Oh, how foolish I am being. That would have erased the entire beauty of these poetic lines. The essence of poetry lies in the hidden, the unseen, and the unread. It is your interpretation, your perspective and understanding that makes it meaningful.
You can easily deduce that the difference in your life could not all be on the better side if you go on the road suggested by Mr. Frost. And seriously, to give it a thought, had it been all positive, beautiful and rosy, our poet would not have taken pains to pen these revolutionary thoughts in such a manner.

Yes, the road less traveled is the road to take. Not because it will give you all roses and happiness, but because it will ultimately turn your life meaningful. The path may be more dangerous, with unknown surprises which may be even hideous sometimes; it may be more testing in terms of requiring your effort and your time; it might give you pains which you would never have imagined; but in the end it is this path that will take you to your destination. Destination which is nothing but a revelation. A revelation that the end lies within the journey; that the ultimate rest comes with constant movement; movement which continuously gives and sometimes does take; it takes your body, your mind, your heart, your soul to live this journey.

Do I sound like I am trying to become a saint? I am not honestly. Its just that I have found within me a need for constant movement and energy, a need for regular rejuvenation, a continuous learning; only than can I call myself accomplished; only then can I call myself educated.

In search of my “self”…………

“Who am I?” This is the question which has been bothering mankind since she (I use “she” here not with an intention to mark myself as a feminist. However, since there is no proof to show that the first form of human life was a male, I take the liberty of assuming that it was indeed female) first acknowledged her being in this universe, as a living organism, who though different in build, form and looks was no different from the other forms of life that populated the earth.

But since I am not here to decode Darwin’s theory of evolution, I would straightaway like to discuss what I am here for. Ahh…if that only could be simple enough. The question bothering me at this point in time is in no manner a straightforward or a simple one. I am putting the interrogatory mark on my “self”. But then again, what is the self that I talk about? Is it me….”Garima” as my parents named me. Or is it me “a Chartered Accountant” by profession? Or biologically is it me “a female human being”? Well, I know I am all of these, but are these or several other descriptions which may be thought of by a rational mind sufficient to describe my “self”?

I don’t think so. So, here I am, in a quest to answer the question which my soul is asking me. Its thirst cannot be quenched by the superficial that the world has bestowed on me, neither by any teachings, preaching’s, or lessons, nor by writing it out in words like these on this space. I am not a philosopher, not a poet. My instincts don’t depend on the work that I do, on the accounts that I audit. My satisfaction is not derived from the amount of salary I earn. My desires are not fulfilled by knowing that I am secure (financially and emotionally) and gifted with pleasantries of life. Then what is it that drives me? What is the force that upsurges at the slightest mention of being able to call myself fulfilled? I cannot decode it. Not yet. Not now. But one thing that I have understood is that I am somewhere in touch with my soul, my “self”. And this revelation tells me that I am still far from being what I “am”.

It’s true. I am somebody who I don’t know. And from now on a new search begins within me. A search to find out “who I am”? A search which I hope will never end but will keep on unfolding various parts of my soul to me. I Believe this would help me to lead a “contented” life. (I don’t say “happy”, because I am happy even now and I read that “happiness” is relative. One can never be completely happy, as happiness results from all desires being fulfilled. And mankind, as we know, can never have a list of desires that have all been fulfilled).