Between a Rock and a Hardplace

A man was beginning a journey into uncharted territories. Where the road was going to end up he didn’t know, but he packed his bag and went on down. The journey was euphoric for him. The sun shined over the road, glistening as it gave the grass and flowers light. 


‘This is the best decision I’ve made in my life’, he thought to himself. 


The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, and still the road continued. The journey that started off with much promise now seemed to become a burden. The rays of sun that lit his path now became impeded as the clouds forced their way upon the unknown road, and with it turned his journey into gloom. What was a clear path forward now became gloomy and stressful. A path that once seemed so bright was suddenly full of uncertainty. 


The man thought about turning back. Maybe if he went back the clouds would move and he’d return to that place of sunshine and clear skies. Maybe he’d return to the space that was familiar to him. To the place that was safe. 


If he turned back, what would those he left behind say. 


‘We told you, you couldn’t it’. 


Reluctantly he kept going for now. And even though his steps became slower, proceeded he did. The road became narrow, and now hidden, as overhead nothing but trees towered over and fog blurred his vision. His once powerful strut now become more of a limp, as he dragged his feet through the ground below, mud rising up past his ankles. 


He dragged, and dragged, as the weight of the earth began to pull him down, and his leg giving way, he stumbled and hit face first into a foreign object. 


Gasping for air, and using any ounce of energy he had left in his bones, he pulled himself to his feet. And through the fog, reached his hand forward to find what was blocking his path. He felt, up and down and around the rugged object. He used his last bit of might to push the object, to no avail. 


And as some of the mist cleared he came to realize what lay in front of him was a boulder. The journey forward was halted by this rock. 


….


What do you do?