Last night on the way to a work function, I travelled across several suburbs to reach the main motorway that would take me to the venue. I opted for a route of side roads and back roads. I kept off the main roads to miss peak hour traffic and get to my destination by the quickest (although not the most direct route). And soon enough I turned a corner and there was the onramp to the 4 lane motorway. Then all of sudden along with the cars ahead of me and beside me, we were all accelerating as we picked up speed to join the motorway. And then there I was, no longer on a restricted 50km p/hr drive through suburban streets, but doing 100km p/hr on the highway. Narrow streets with traffic lights, and pedestrian crossings, roundabouts had given way to a wide open lane with increased speed and fewer restrictions.
My travel through the side roads had led me perfectly to the motorway. My side road had just become my highway. In the detours you can find your destiny. The side road can become the highway. They say that the Corporate Ladder is a thing of the past, and it is more like a jungle – swinging from vine to vine – sometimes across, down or up. Kevin Forlong said this “Within your passion lies your purpose and within your purpose you will find your provision.“ And sometimes our passion is discovered in the side roads and detours. In the hobby, or the thing that you do while procrastinating doing what you should. In the things that keep you up at night talking and dreaming of.
In my travels, I have stumbled upon many treasures in the side roads. A cosy restaurant in Venice, the Chapel – Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, a delightful gift shop in Florence. Don’t be disheartened by side roads, they have their own discoveries to offer. They could become the highlight – they might just become the highway.
(Thanks to Paul Saunders for inspiring this blog post through his preach at church with how side roads can become highways)
Blue Skies & Lollipops 