THE ROAD TO BE TAKEN..

October 27, 2020

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 travelled by;

And that has made all the difference.

I was in class 10 when I read 'THE ROAD NOT TAKEN' by Robert Frost for the first time. I found it to be so intriguing and ambiguous solely because of the fact that the poet did not go in the mainstream and follow the herd. He took the road 'less travelled by'...

Well, poetically, it seems amusing. But, when you have to face a crossroad practically, none of us have the guts to actually go against the rules. To be honest, I am at one such crossroad. Almost all readers of this blog are at an age when they shall be finally deciding what their future is going to look like. It's even terrifying to think that an apparently small decision right now, might have a considerable impact on our future.

Those who know me, know it very well that I don't like to follow the crowd. It's not that I have pierced my eyebrows, or got a load of tattoos on my body. But, I don't follow the crowd in terms of their ideology. I guess, this 'being apart' was only limited to school assemblies or class presentations. And now, when I have to choose a career for myself, believe me, kuch alag karne mein MERI PHATT RAHI HAI! What if, it doesn't work out? What if, I waste some precious years of my life? What if, I am not able to give my parents all that they deserve? These 'what ifs' are killing me right now.

Would you actually believe that my WhatsApp profile picture is 'BETTER AN OOPS, THAN A WHAT IF..'

Now that I have to implement this quote, I don't have the guts! Maybe all of this looks good on social media only.. That's why our country has the highest number of engineers and doctors. I'm sure that at least half of them had some underlying passion, but they chose the safe path, solely because of the responsibilities upon them. The thing is, that I am not afraid to experiment with my life. But, I absolutely have no right to mess with my parents' life! They deserve a secured future.

I don't know where I will go. And, it's practically impossible to have ZERO REGRETS, no matter which road I take. And, that is what Robert Frost tried to say in his poem!!!

The road not taken is the most misinterpreted poem in the history of literature. Turns out, that Frost was out for a walk with his friend Edward Thomas, who would often regret not having taken a different path, LITERALLY! Frost liked to tease and goad. He told Thomas- "no matter which road you take, you'll always sigh and wish you'd taken another." We are just disappointed that we cannot hold on to, and experience the consequences of every opportunity that comes our way.

In the last stanza, Frost is already imagining the regret that he'll feel and decides that he will not be honest when he retells the story of his decision, as it will not validate his selection of the road if he showcases his regret by stating that an equal opportunity could have landed him elsewhere in life.

So, The Road Not Taken is not about the road he took (which according to some is, the less travelled by), but about the road which HE DID NOT TAKE!

If Robert Frost can have a regret in his life, then who are we? I'm sure whatever decision I'll take today would shape tomorrow's Ridhima. But, I know one thing for sure, that...... she'll still love aloo paranthas the same way!!😂

Toh, jo hona hoga, woh toh ho jayega.. You enjoy and eat golgappas!