The Hard Route

I'm trying to think back on my almost 32 years and I'm thinking of moments that I may have taken a short cut.  It seems so easy to go that route.  It's right there, it's going to save me so much time or effort.  Nobody will even see that I've gone that way, they'll just see me at the end.  Why wouldn't everyone take this route?  All the sudden I see myself making decisions in a different light!

I definitely took the short cut with school.  I never took classes that would mean writing that extra paper, or took that classes that interfered with my real schedule, a.k.a. sports and social life.  I do have a degree, but what does it really mean.  It just stands for a moment in my life that I waited until they said I have enough credits to graduate.  I think I would be a much better student today, and I think I would take the hard route through it.

I don't think I took the short cut with friends.  I want to say that I've always gone the extra mile with my friends.  That's probably why I always expect the best from them.  I know that I've not always been the most pleasant person to be around.  I know that I've slighted people from time to time in the past.  That, however, only has made me more of a caring person.  I know what it's like to both be treated well and poorly.  I know that it's worth taking the hard route, because this way is the only way to make people appreciate you as you do them.

The hard route in marriage can be many different paths.  I don't know what's it's like to not be happy with marriage.  I have loved Denise since the moment I looked at her again.  We have never been in a fight, none that qualifies at least.  I know that many things get in the way of marriage, but all those expected things never did.  So, my marriage is going the tough route that was not expected.  It's not stressing us as an entity, but it's stressing the way we look at everything.  I want to know that we are planning a future, but all I see is tomorrow.  It will be a beautiful day, I promise you that, but I want to mean it when I say everything will be okay.  For now, I cannot say that.  All I know, is that this route, for better or worse is the route that I choose to be on.  It's now the foundation of everything that we stand for.  I love this route, because I love my girl!  It's not a burden, but a chance to be stronger than anything we thought we could.

I love life, and it's hard routes!