Different Walks of Life

You go for a walk with someone. They know where they're going, but it's not a very exciting walk and it seems to be taking an awfully long time to get there. You put up with it though because you figure it will be worth it in the end. However, you are wrong and when you get there it sucks and you realize you probably won't be going on anymore walks with this person anytime soon.

The next day you go out for a walk with someone else. It appears that they don't know where they're going, but it's a nice walk so you don't really mind. After what seems to be a shorter time than you expected, you arrive at your destination and it is a most pleasant surprise. Your friend is glad you like it and you proceed to have a very good time.

Since you had such a good time, you decide to go for a walk with the same person, the next day. Although you haven't discussed where you're going, you have a pretty good idea it's the same place because you recognize the route and things along the way. Though you notice the time pass more this time and it seems to be taking longer, it is still a nice walk and you don't really mind. When you get there you are not surprised, but you have a good time anyway because it is a place you like.

On the fourth day, your friend comes to call and you decide not to go, not because it isn't a good time, but because your friend takes the same route to get to the same place and you're in the mood for something a little more adventurous. So you take a rain check and go out walking by yourself.

As you walk by yourself, you begin by taking a familiar route which you are used to walking with others, but very soon you begin to notice things you hadn't noticed before. Perhaps it is because you are alone and are seeing things differently, perhaps not, but it is the case nevertheless and you are pleased by this new awareness. After a while, you realize you have veered off onto an unfamiliar route, but you have plenty of time and continue to explore freely, allowing yourself to get fairly lost, but gradually find your way home again...as a result you become familiar with more places you have never seen and seen familiar places in a way you had never seen.

The next day you feel refreshed and inspired and can barely wait to see what the day's walk will bring. Just as you are about to leave, another person shows up and asks if they can join you. You think that if today is anything like yesterday that it might be nice to have someone to share it with, so the two of you venture forth.

This time you pick a route you both like to start out on and begin to share your different perspectives of it along the way. This becomes so fun after a while that as you reach different intersections you decide which way to go according to the direction of the conversation. If you had been noticing the plants along the way, you pick a direction that looks like it might head towards forest or fields. If you were noticing the sky and clouds you might opt for a direction which leads to higher ground and so on......Each new route leading to further observations and the sharing of different points of view in progressively unfamiliar territory. You have so much fun that the whole day elapses before you realize you have gone further than ever before, either alone or with anyone else. Though this is a great realization, you are still hopelessly lost, tired, hungry and it's getting dark. As you retrace your path in an attempt to get home, you decide to stop for a rest and some food. As a result, you discover to your surprise one of the best places either one of you has ever been. You have such a great time that you stay way past dark and end up spending the night there.

The next morning, having found your walking partner, you start out bright and early with a whole new day in front of you and not a familiar route in sight.