“The Fine Print”, by Michael Schrader

ALL GOOD THINGS. . .

(Written 21 April 1999. Published in the Neighborhood Journal. Posted 17 November 2009.)

There comes a point in a person's life that it is beneficial to make profound changes. I have reached such a point.

I have spent the better part of a year searching my soul, trying to find answers to the world around me, trying to figure out my destiny, where I fit in. A road map of life, if you will.

When I was five years old, I discovered road maps and how really nifty they are. After all, a road map shows you where you are, where you are going, and how to get there. It's very clear cut, very cut-and-dried. I must admit that sometimes it is more enjoyable to employ the "wander" method of navigation, that is to just pick some road and drive it until it ends to see where it goes. The problem with this approach is that you don't know where you are going to, and where you end up may not be someplace you really want to be. Thus, road maps are a necessary evil to help prevent us from going places we don't really want to go.

The problem with life is that there is no road map yet available; we must employ the "wander" method of navigation. We choose a path and follow it until it ends, not knowing where we will end up until we get there. The problem with this is that we can't really plan for the future, because we don't have that road map of the future to guide us as to what it will be. Thus, even our best and noblest plans come crashing down around us thanks to an unexpected twist or turn on the road of life.

I have found that I have come to a fork in the road of the path that I am traveling. Without any guidance as to where the new path will take me, I do not know whether is would be more prudent to stay on the path I have been on or take the new path. After much reflection, I have come to the decision to change paths.

Changing paths requires significant lifestyle changes. Because I feel that the path I am about the travel is the correct path, I am willing to accept these changes. The past three weeks have been a whirlwind for me as I have said my farewells to those I know will not be with me on this new path. Now it is time for me to say farewell to you, too. It has been almost three years now since you welcomed me every week into your minds, and I would be a liar if I said that I will not miss it. I will. But, it is something I must do. I cannot walk along two diverging paths.

Goodbye.

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