The Road Much Taken

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Nearly two years ago, after a devastating earthquake overwhelmed Japan, I wrote this short reflection....

For more than eight years now, I have been traveling through this road on my way to the office. For this morning, and even for the past mornings, I found it hard to maneuver my motorcycle through this road. The path is really sandy, and along the way, there are humps and holes.

It must have been the recent afternoon rains that did it. One particular day last week, the rain was so hard that the road is totally impassable. The flood was almost knee-deep in some areas, and the current of the flowing water was very strong. It looked as though a river has just formed inside the school premises. And it was really agonizing to cross the flood and find my way through.

The ebb had gone the following morning, leaving behind a scoured road. Still many vehicles crossed it, rendering it sandier as tires eroded the topsoil. Many mornings have already passed, and despite the sudden change of the surface, the road had continued serving its purpose – to provide a way for us.

The road reminded me of the events in Japan and countries like China, India, and Pakistan which had been devastated by large floods in the last few years. How is life for them after the calamities? How much damage has been done to them? Have they recovered?

In these events, thousands of houses have been washed out, destroying thousands of homes and families. The floods have changed the face of the planet, but more than the surface, they have shattered the hearts of people and governments…

But life must somehow continue. And before our eyes, these people have recovered and started their lives anew. Despite all the losses… Despite all the pain… Despite all the changes. For life is about moving on, accepting yesterdays and learning from them. And whatever experiences we went through, we must always go on living…

Seeing the sandy road ahead, I slowed down my speed and moved my way through a large slope. And when I have surpassed it, I looked through my side mirror and the road slowly vanished… I looked ahead and realized that things gradually fade before me. Yes, things vanish once we look ahead.