HOW WAY LEADS ON TO WAY

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

By Robert Frost

Two roads divulged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads divulged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

I don’t think, they have stopped including this poem in today’s High-school English text books. I hope, they haven’t. We had it in our ninth standard. And, you know the wisdom of a ninth-standard student! Our English teacher must’ve tried his best to tell us this: “Boys, (Ours was a boys’ school!), start thinking about what you want to do after Tenth… You have to be clear about the road you’re going to take… So, start thinking.”

The Tenth was over, soon… and, some, who had understood well the message of Robert Frost’s famous poem - and particularly those who understood well our English teacher’s advice – went about choosing their roads consciously. And, the majority – which included me – just followed the herd!

Came soon the Twelfth! Nothing much had changed, as far as the choice of the road was concerned… The sheep like me followed the herd!

Today, the father of one of my twelfth-standard boys was upset about his son’s situation. The son has passed with seventy percent marks. But, he is confused… to take B. Com or B.M.M or B.M.S. He hates Math’s… So, the only field where he can avoid Math’s is B.M.M. But, that’s not the way to decide for B.M.M… He understands that. Then, comes the question – “Which is the ‘best college’ for B.M.M?” But, the ‘Best college’ needs the ‘Best marks’, and our boy hasn’t got them… He knows that, too. “What about the ’scope’?” … That, this, that, this… There is tension at home… The father is confused, the son is confused… and, in such a state of mind, every outside suggestion or advice ends ups only making the decision-making process an utter chaos… A mess!

I recalled my own situation, and abstained from giving the so-called ‘foolproof’ road-map… I said, that the boy was old enough to realize where he stands at the moment… That, he needed to decide - not his father, teacher, neighbour or whoever it is. That, he needed to learn from his past mistakes and be prepared to work harder and longer in whichever field he would be getting into… That, his success in life wouldn’t be decided by the colleges, teachers, or by the courses – B. Com, B.M.S, B.M.M etc. – but, by his own desire, discipline and determination. That, if he was ready to put his heart and soul, there would be great scope… Else, just as he stands today, at this crossroad, unable to decide - confused, he would find himself standing similarly confused, when he becomes a graduate…

The boy has to stand where two roads meet… and, as the Poet did… as I did… as most of us do, has to finally decide which road to take. I was lucky to get this clarity in my F.Y. B. Com, when, sitting in a 100-plus-boys’ class, I watched my own professor and ‘desired desperately’ to become like him – a fine teacher and writer. The interesting part of this story is, that, neither my teacher – my idol – nor my parents (who hardly had any education) knew about my dream. So, then onward, it was left to me alone to find my way… I did not to look back. As the poet says, I knew, that one way would lead to another, and yet another… Yes, through the less-traveled road in the yellow wood - called ‘LIFE’!

GERALD D’CUNHA

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