Seemingly,
he came out on top.
He played it safe and heeded
sound advice. Buy low. Sell high…
Others thought he had it all.
Him?
Not so.
He felt lost.
The beaten path choked his mojo
and he longed to revive it.
So he tossed the map. A
novelty act. And, somehow, he felt
Found.
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On the literal and proverbial road, do you prefer to have a map? Or do you thrive on forging your own path?
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Linking up with the one and only G-MAN for #fridayflash55 and with the ruler of Making Things Up Melissa for #sixwordfridays, the prompt is NOVEL.
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Image by Johan Larsson
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nice. this too i understand…who needs a stinking man….smiles.
Lovely-the journey of life, sometimes we need to take big chances and go to the beat
of our own drum beat!
Your exquisite poem makes me think perhaps it is better to throw the map away and really start living a more authentic life from the inside out…..
well done….
joanny
Joanny, your response raises the very interesting question that perhaps “the map” obstructs the path to authenticity. After enough years of map-following, one has to wonder…
Naw, I don’t really need a map…
But a compass would be nice.
You at least need to know what direction you are going.
Loved your 55 Belinda…You Rock Baby.
Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End.
I like to know where I’m heading so I’ll keep my map.
Excelletn 55!
This is nice Belinda.
I am a planner in real life and like to have a map in my head. Sometimes it is stifling. Perhaps one day I will get enough courage to act on impulse.
I need to ditch my map…but its scary not knowing which way I may be heading!
Then maybe the alternative is to ditch the map that may not even be meant for you to begin with and draw a new one as you go along?
While maps have their place, I seem to ride by the seat of my pants many a day. I relish the wind and the direction that it pushes me. I know that a map to the future might make sense at some point, but as soon as you set your sights on the destination, you hit a roadblock and have to find a new way round anyway. I like your 55!
I get this. Your internal compass responds and readjusts as you wend your way around the roadblocks.
Belinda,
This poem is both well done and lots of fun to read. I like the topic. Sometimes I think it’s good to toss the map every once in awhile. Well, actually I’m terrible at following “the map.” I set destinations and then end up taking the side roads, even though I’m not really a person who loves adventure. However, I don’t usually regret the trip in the long run.
It’s always fun to land on a post that’s just perfect for the mood I’m in. This one does it for me:~)
Sara, on actual road trips, I love side roads myself and get a certain lift when I take a turn here and there. It’s the side roads I didn’t take that make me feel any kind of regret much more so than the perceived wasted time getting to the destination.
Glad this found you in the right mood.
Oh, good for him. I can relate. Why is it that the map more often than not seems to get in the way of what really matters?
Excellent 55. Maps are nice, but only the AAA maps with the highlighter marks are meant to be followed.
I draft a new map regularly.
Much to my dismay I am too much of a control freak and absolutely stress without the literal or proverbial map. However, I do make a conscious effort to expand my horizons. For example, I went to London and toured the city for 3 days on my own. Yes I had a map, but not “knowing” where I was going was so stressful. But I did it and I feel all the more proud of myself.
Cathy, I have control freak tendencies myself and am not one to toss off road maps willy nilly, but there’s something to be said for how alive I feel when I navigate something on my own based on intuition, trial and error, etc.
GPS at ALL times. But I don’t like the “voice”. That would drive me crazy. Nice 55
I really like this one!
Belinda, I love this one. Simply profound!
I am a map girl. I prefer a written map with steps detailed
In life, there isn’t always such a map. I’m learning to embrace uncertainty. Letting principles guide me. I’m less worried about making a wrong turn. And, learning from my missteps and falls. I used to paralyzed by fear of making a wrong turn.
Truly amazing how a scarcity of words, brilliant and well-chosen, can convey so much. I love this, Belinda.
Had a conversation today with DH about my lack of navigational direction…makes me think in that in the context of this poem, a lack of direction is just fine…I always get where I want to go. I’m always where I’m meant to be.
I loved this! I’m glad he’s just winging it.
The only time the maps are out for me is when the destination includes a fixed arrival time
Awesome, Belinda!! And I just LOVED the metaphor!
Technology may help us find our way around roads and places… but will it really help us map out our life’s journey?! The day it does, I am getting that gadget….
An excellent write, my dear.. very thought provoking…