So the other day, while driving home from having dinner with friend, I noticed quite a bit of traffic as I was approaching the exit just before mine on the interstate. I decided to get off on an earlier exit to avoid all the traffic. As I began taking my roundabout way home, I started to think, "Wow you dingbat....why are you taking this ridiculously out of the way route home...Needless to say, there were so many other route options that would have gotten me home alot faster, but I took the "Danielle the forever daydreaming and not paying attention" route home.
As I was driving through this rather sketchy looking neighborhood, I came upon a dead end and found a purpose in my roundabout way home. There was this older lady just sitting in her car at the dead end with this rather puzzled look on her face. I rolled down the window and said "Ma'm are you okay?" She replied, "I'm lost can you tell me how to get to the street Lonely Oak". I said sure and began giving her directions...The more I talked, the more confused she looked. When I noticed this, I decided to just show her how to get there. As I showed her the way to Lonely Oak, which was completely out of my way home, I thought to myself...well, here it is...the reason for my dead end, roundabout way home.
I often times think about all the brick walls and dead ends that I've run into while charted my course toward various life goals. I find myself wondering why I took such roundabout routes to get to certain points, when there always existed a much faster, easier route.
Why did I do two separate masters programs back to back when the school offerred a joint program in which I could have knocked them out simulatneously? Why did I spend 6 years working in various fields before deciding to return to the initial mental health trajectory that I was intersted in and majored in in college?
Why does it take me years to notice things sitting right in front my face? Why do I always fall in love with someone when it's too late...when it's really over? Why do I get lonely when there's people to hang out with and tons of places to go?
Why do I wait til' the last minute to do everything, which further complicates my life? Why am I always late for everything? Why is my life so chaotic?
I wonder what it would feel like if things were organized...if things ran smoothly...if things fell into place...
But I guess they do...in my roundabout sort of way.
