Coveting the path less traveled…
Cats: miscellanea|A wee bit of a scenario:
A horde of people are walking down a wide dusty road. Who knows where they’re bound? No idea, but they’re going. Because that’s where everyone else is going. They know it’s the right direction, just plodding along, keeping pace with the person next to them, even walking in step at times. Everyone looks the same; the same dusty clothes; the same content, pleasant expression.
Except for the chick in the middle of the road that keeps jostling her neighbor. She grimaces and murmurs an apology from time to time. She gets angry stares sometimes. Other times it’s just a puzzled look thrown her way. Some people are offended because she doesn’t walk like the rest of them. Even though she can’t break free and run off in another direction, she alternately bounces along, almost skipping in place as they all plod forward en masse, or drags her feet causing the people behind her to stumble into her. It’s never enough to upset the progress of the herd. Once in a while a few will sidle over and try to ‘help’ her learn to be like the rest, so she can walk along just like everyone else. She tries from time to time. It works for a while, but she always seems to slip out of step.
It’s usually because she’s looking off the path, to lesser known routes, to mere impressions left on green grass through dark thickets toward an unknown destination.
But all these people around her are depending on her to help them along their dusty road toward…whatever it is. Nobody else wants to explore the mysterious byways. That’s not allowed; it isn’t done; it could be dangerous. One might get dirty, or scratched, or get lost.
If she’s not careful she’s going to just drop where she is, tired, dusty and parched… and be trampled. Unless she decides to stop looking at the pretty scenery and be happy walking down the road.
