Take the Dirt Road: 5 Reasons Why

 

A few days ago, the road that I normally drive home from a remote office was closed due to construction. I had two choices-turn around and backtrack to get to the highway, or take the nearby dirt road. I chose the dirt road.

To many, taking a dirt road would be an irritation, a nuisance.  Will my car get dirty? Will all of these bumps ruin my tires? Will it take me twice as long to get home?  There is a lot of beauty in a dirt road that most people don’t see, because they want to get where they’re going, and to get there fast.

I enjoy taking a dirt road occasionally. It gives me quiet time, just to think. As I drove the dirt road last week, a new thought occurred to me. Dirt roads can easily be compared to our lives, and here is how:

1.  Dirt roads are not always smooth, sometimes  it gets pretty rough. Some dirt roads are so bumpy, we wonder if we’re going to make it through in one piece. We hold on and keep moving forward, trying our hardest to steer clear of the really BIG bumps in the road. But, we can’t always maneuver around the bumps…so we take a deep breath, go slow, and face them head on. We deal with them and keep going, just like the “bumps” we encounter in life. 

2. We might get a little bit dusty as we travel the dirt road, but we brush ourselves off and keep going..just like we do in our everyday life.

3. One of my favorite sights to see on a dirt road is the many types of wildflowers growing on the side of the road. Not just one variety of flower- flowers of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. Some are beautiful, some are rather  prickly. Despite all of their differences, these wildflowers grow together in harmony. Wouldn’t it be nice if our lives were like that?

4.  I try to avoid dirt roads after a heavy rain, because I don’t want to get stuck in the mud (been there,done that,not fun).  Again,there are times in our lives when we might get “stuck”.  We might get in such a deep rut that we feel there is no way out.  This is when we need a little help to get us out of that rut and moving forward again..and that’s okay! We’re here to help each other, right?

5. Driving down a dirt road on a hot summer day, we are bound to kick up some dust behind us. That dust behind us can get so thick, we see NOTHING  in the rear-view mirror. But, looking straight ahead,the path is clear. We keep pushing forward, concentrate on the road in front of us, and stop worrying about what is behind us. I have a quote from Will Rogers hanging on my office wall. The quote reads “Never let yesterday use up too much of today”.  Yesterday is the dirt behind us, and today is the path ahead to our future. 

Next time you have to drive a dirt road, take the time to enjoy it. Have you ever purposely traveled down a dirt road instead of your normal routine? Try it-it’s good for the soul. 😊