“FORK IN THE ROAD” by Richard Mandarachio

I read once a few insightful lines about trust. A few lines, a paragraph or two. Short, simple, and it captured my mind and clicked with my reasoning completely. Sometimes I do believe it’s all about reading or hearing the right thing… at the right place… when the time is ripe.


Basically there is never one way to a man’s heart—a man’s, or a woman’s, or a child’s—anyone’s. At the point I am in time and knowledge, I have discerned two paths in the haze before me. The path you choose again is based upon an equation of duality. It is up to you—the walker—and the person you are heading towards: the destination.


The one might be steeper in the beginning, there may be branches in the way that stretch out clawed branches to pluck your eyes out. It may take you over wintry hills or through humid low swamps, and you may lose your shoes along the way. You may make sacrifices—for good cause, and thus willingly. But the road is straight, and your feet fall upon it firmly, knowing where and how you step. You know you won’t be sucked underby a deceptive trap of quicksand. You know a jaguar will not leap out atsome unexpected instant to sink its fangs into your throat. And always, there is a golden haze in front of you, lingering right ahead in order toguide you. This is the path of trust.


There is another path. There will likely be lovely flowers framing this one, at first. You’ll see the trees smile at you with bright pink blossoms—until you realize that these blossoms have fallen at the first weak wind, and the trees are actually leering. You’ll see the road looks firm and steady, until an unexpected turn or a sudden pit trap or an ambush by the jungle beasts. It’s the path without a beacon of blind trust. You must have eyes in the back of your head, your hands, your shoulder-blades. And that is the path you must, unfortunately, sometimes tread. And while you walk it you will probably, instinctively, like me, forever be seeking a golden light at the end that sometimes will appear… and sometimes never will.

~Angreek87