The highway is the fast route to the destination of choice. As we cruise along the highway we look down and see the images of unique little towns that have their own kind of charm, in a blur. The highway is one of our express lanes through life….a road that increases the speed of time and distance.

Recently on a trip to London I discovered how important the difference is between the highway and the backroads. As many tourists love to visit the sights and sounds of England’s capitol, as I learned, the real charm of England lies on the backroads. A tour guide mentioned to me, “They all want to see Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace, but to really experience England and its people one has to take a trip about fifty miles outside of London….that’s where the magic begins.” I guess the same can be said for many USA cities. While each has its charm, the surrounding communities also have much to offer. In this society, where we seek out the highways, many keys to experiences and successes await us on the backroads.

Tom Scholz of the rock group Boston, is considered a little eccentric and off-the-cuff, but this former MIT graduate left his trademark on the sound of the guitar, and how music is recorded. Scholtz, you see, is one of those geniuses that refuses to take the highway of life…….he seeks out the end of the rainbow. As one band member mentioned in regard to Tom’s work ethic said, “Tom is one of those people who tries things a hundred different ways. He may fall flat on his face 98% of the time, but that 2% is where miracles occur.” Tom, I guess, rarely takes the highway.

In our lives we choose, many times, when searching out solutions, the highway, the road that everyone takes. And then, we wonder why we lose track of what it is we had set out to find. The backroads may not be the fastest route, but, because it is the road less taken, you may find treasure “in them there hills.” Yes, we too may not be successful 98% of the time, but, along the backroads we just may find that magical 2% that can change our lives.

Take the backroads,
love,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon