Writing Prompt: What Could Have Been


What could have been, I wonder, if I had taken a different path? Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, comes to my mind. At a certain point in our lives, we often reflect back on what could have been if we had made a different decision in our younger years. 

 

Much of my quandary over what could have been brings to my mind one paradox after another. With so many roads that could have been taken, there are so many possibilities for what could have been. If I had not gotten married, I would not have my children. If my mother had not gotten married, I would not have been born, or would I? Would we all have been born just different, or would we not exist at all? Besides Frost’s beloved poem which was misinterpreted at the time it was written, even by his friend, who received his poem. Frost’s whimsical poem evolved to be called The Road Less Taken, prompting readers to contemplate what could have been. There have been multitudes of movies like, Sliding Doors, that play out two different roads which make me think of Frost’s poem that was actually titled, Two Roads.

 

The idea of Two Roads, or however many possibilities side by side my brain can imagine, could make me wonder how many possibilities or how many possible roads I missed out on. When I think about what could have been, I sometimes wonder if I could have chosen the wrong roads throughout my life.  I have unpleasant chunks of memory that make me wonder if I took the wrong road. Maybe God had a plan for me, and I missed it. It is always possible that I kept making bad decisions and taking the wrong road, but maybe the road I took led me to where I needed to be.

 

There are times in my life when I think about what could have been and can’t imagine how the place I sit is where I needed to be. I know God had a plan for me when I was born. I don’t know if the path I took was the one He laid out for me, but He lifted me up from whatever roads I took and guided me over the roadblocks. As I ponder the many roads I have taken, and what could have been, I rest in gratitude that I have many roads yet to take.

 

Image by Nataly from Pixabay

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2023 at 12:43 PM

    We never know if we are making the right choices but try our best. I like what you said about having so many possible roads you're afraid you might miss out. Ha! So true. Love your writing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Writing Prompt: The Most wonderful Time of the Year

Image
The most wonderful time of the year might be buying gifts, gathering with family, eating treats, singing Christmas songs, or going to candlelight services.  The most wonderful time of the year makes a lovely song, but for many December is not the most wonderful time of the year. For some, the glitter and glam of December brings the stress of job loss, low income, or holiday drama.  The most wonderful time of the year for me is every day that I quietly praise my God and celebrate Christ. When I can share my love with another person, it is the most wonderful day of the year. I will share some time with family on and around Christmas but it is not my favorite time of the year. Hearing a child describe her excitement over Christmas morning makes me smile. When children know they will get nice presents for Christmas, it is the most wonderful time of the year for them. I am blessed that I can share her joy. The most wonderful time for me is making things with my granddaughter. We ha...
Read more

Writing with Dice

Image
  Writing with Dice I got Writing Dice as a Christmas gift last year. I am having fun rolling the dice and writing to the word prompts. This is the color code and my 10-minute writing. Hat in hand the woman’s feet briskly hit the pavement as she walked through town. She saw the looks and heard a few whispers. She’s still alive? People stared, and a few waved. She hadn’t been to the shops for several months. She wasn’t dead. Her curiosity was very much alive. She had been traveling to countries she wasn’t familiar with but loved the medieval history in some of the villages. Now she felt like an outsider, but the power in her walk showed them she may have lived many more years than they, but she wasn’t old.    She saw Ed sitting on a bench outside of the dress shop. Since it wasn’t the hardware store, she was sure he came to town with his wife, Peggy who loved shopping. He had the face of a martyr sitting stolidly straight with his head slightly bowed. Even though his wife ...
Read more

Writing Prompt: What I lost and found along my journey….

Image
My life is an adventure full of joys, plans, unmet expectations, and loss. After experiencing the many mistakes of my teen years, I chose a path that seemed safe and secure. I watered, nurtured, and trimmed the weeds along my way. I enjoyed some fun adventures on the water that kept me nourished and energized along my journey. I limped a little, but I pushed on ignoring the energy I was losing as I walked the rocky path. I thought I was okay until I recognized the trickster in my path.     The shock of seeing, for the first time, my past and present in light of the trickster’s affinity for deception brought disruption to my normal (as it seemed) life. The trickster’s cunning deception brought darkness and loss into the map of my life. The exhilarating family trips to the ocean and then kayaking on the river became a dim crumpled mess on my map. The joys of my past sank deep into darkness.    When divorce hit like a quake that rocked my world, I realized I can’t nurtu...
Read more