William drove the same road every day, and each day he inched a little closer to the end. Of course, he wasn’t even sure what “the end” was, or how far he has to go to get there. All he really knew was that this road eventually would lead there. This road was actually the main highway, and many people were traveling along, trying to reach their end. All along the highway were hotels and motels, restaurants, bars, night clubs, bowling alleys, pool halls, movie theaters, and every other kind of entertainment option imaginable. There was no need to get bored when you stopped for the night.
Traveling down this road were all types of cars: sport cars, sport utility vehicles, luxury cars, family sedans, minivans, muscle cars, classics and clunkers. These cars all went at different speeds, according to its ability. This made it especially exciting when you witnessed an accident, then you just had to pay close attention to ensure you didn’t become part of the accident.
This life was okay, it had even been fun for a while. But William couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to life than this. He knew this road led from his beginning to his end, and that he must travel along it. But he longed for another path, one more adventurous than this. He wanted to be outside, not sitting in a car all day. He wanted spontaneity and surprises, rather than being stuck in a rut. When he does reach his end, he wants to know that he’s been somewhere, not just passing the time.
One day, as all these thoughts were rushing through his mind, he barely saw a little dirt path just off the side of the road. He quickly pulled off on the shoulder and came to a stop. His actions were so sudden that several cars had to swerve to keep from hitting him. He hopped out of the car and began walking back to where he had seen the path. When he got there, he realized that it was more than a mere path, this was a trail. He couldn’t tell how far it went, or where it led, but since this was exactly the kind of thing he was looking for, he was determined to find out.
At first, the trail was easy to travel, it was flat, straight, and smooth. After he had been going for a little while, William noticed that the once flat trail had begun a very subtle incline. And he was no longer going perfectly straight, but had started gradually curving around one way and then the next. What started as a mere hike down a trail to break up the monotony of the daily drive was turning into a journey. He didn’t know how far this trail went, but it was too late to turn back toward his car today. He would have to make camp here for the night.
This was the first time in his memory that he did not sleep in one of the many hotels, or eat at one of the various restaurants. He found more natural food in the woods than he needed, and it was better than any he had sampled in a long time. After hiking all day, he was too tired to notice, or even care, that none of the usual sources of entertainment existed here in the woods. Instead, he turned in early and went to sleep under the stars.
It was a very peaceful and relaxing night, and after a long day of walking, William truly needed it. When he woke up in the morning, he was not prepared for how sore he would be. But it was a good soreness. A soreness that came from muscles he had not exerted in a long time. Now, a question came up in his mind. What am I going to do today? He saw a couple of options. He could count the blessings of the prior day, go back to his car and press on. Or, he could continue on down the trail, and see what the day brings. It took less time to decide than it did to lay out the options, he would stick with it, and see what happens.
Every morning when he woke up, William found himself faced with the same question, Do I go back to my car and start driving down the road again, or should I press on? He had to make a new commitment every day to continue in this new way of life. This lifestyle presented him with both physical and mental challenges.
He knew he wanted to press on, to finish what he had started. The new experiences he dealt with everyday kept things lively, and was just the sort of thing he was looking for. However, he couldn’t help missing the life he once lived. He had left behind the hotels, restaurants and night life he had grown accustomed to. Then there were the friendships he was missing. Some of the people he knew meant more to him than others, but he did enjoy having the company of fellow travelers. Out here, it could be days before he would see another soul. Sometimes, he wouldn’t see them, he would just hear their voices in the distance. Other times, he would travel with the same person for weeks at a time, then they would split off at the next fork in the road.
When he first started on the trail, it had been nothing more than an easy-going nature walk. By now, it was an advanced hike through the woods. The path would force you to climb up a steep hill, then, it would suddenly drop off and start going downhill very rapidly. Sometimes, it would cause you to run. It was during a fast run downhill that the trail sharply turned right, then back left again. If William did not stay on the trail at this point, he would be pitched into the thick branches of the trees in the woods. On top of all that, the path was covered with stones of various sizes. He had to be careful so he didn’t stumble on these stones. This path was far too treacherous to walk at night – you needed to travel by daylight so you could see what you were doing.
On one occasion, when William faced one of these downhill, hairpin turns, he got careless and did not attempt to slow down before the turn. Just as he made the turn, there was a series of stones scattered across the path. He hit these stones going full speed, and his feet became entangled. He tripped, and struggled to keep his balance, then he stepped on another stone, and twisted his ankle. Still trying to regain his balance, he kicks yet another stone, and with that, he falls to the ground. Somehow, he avoided serious injury, but he did scrape up his hands and his knees, and he had the wind knocked out of him. He lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath.
“That was some fall. You really need to be more careful.”
William was taken by surprise at the stranger’s comment. He didn’t even know anyone was out this way, much less seen him.
“My name is Peter,” he said as he offered his hand to help William up.
“William,” was all he could gasp out, still short of breath. Peter offered him some water, and that helped quite a bit. “Thanks.” They sat down and Peter began to clean William’s wounds. They talked as he did. At first, it was just some small talk. But as they talked, Peter began to find out more about William: how he discovered the path, how long he had been walking this way, but most importantly, how few interactions William had since being here. Everyone assumed he knew what he was doing, but no one understood that all he was doing was taking a walk.
Peter reached inside his bag and pulled out 6 pomegranates: 2 blue, 2 purple, and 2 red. William had never seen pomegranates that weren’t red before. Peter explained that they only grew in these woods, and you had to look for them to find them, at first. Then, once you become accustomed to them, finding them is easy. After that, Peter divided them up, giving one of each color to William, and keeping the other for himself. “Eat the fruit,” Peter instructed, “It is the way to build and maintain strength for this journey. I will walk with you for a way, answering whatever questions you have, and providing instruction to you.”
William wasn’t sure he needed instruction, but he did have questions that cropped up every now and then. He was thankful for the company, and grateful for this new fruit, it was so very tasty! He agreed with Peter’s plan, and the two started off together. Peter helped William discover the fruit, and they took what they needed every day. Soon, William was finding this little source of daily sustenance on his own. Peter also taught him the best times to call it a day, and showed him how to select the best spot to make camp.
After they had been together for three years, Peter told William that it was time for him to go another way. “Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again, someday. I’ve taught you everything I can, for now. You’ll learn more through your own experiences. When you meet new people, don’t just assume they know much, ask them. It may be that you need to walk along with them, and teach them. Always remember to eat your daily fruit, for it has everything you need to sustain you. Do you have any last minute questions for me?” William said he didn’t, so the two embraced, said good-bye, and parted ways.
William continued on his path with all the knowledge Peter had passed to him. For years he traveled on. Sometimes by himself. Sometimes in a group. Sometimes with just one other whom he found he needed to instruct. Some days he didn’t eat his fruit, and on those days, he felt much weaker. He even found himself stumbling over stones and losing his balance. Then, he would return to the daily meal of pomegranates, and he would regain his strength. And though it was the same meal every day, he never grew tired of it, for he knew it was the source of his strength.
After a lifetime of walking, William was approaching his end. With all the twists and turns, ups and downs, he had never realized his path was up a mountain before. Now, as he was taking his final steps, he had entered a clearing. From there, he could see down to the highway he had once driven. What he saw was a horrible sight – the end of the road he could have been on. The road came to a sudden cliff with no warning. Every car zoomed right off that cliff. He couldn’t tell how far of a drop it was, but he saw smoke rising over the edge of the cliff, and he knew what the destiny was for all who took that road. As sad as it made him, he was also relieved that he was up here, and not down there. He sighed, came to the end of the path, and sat down in a meadow.
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