Wow, this is a hard one. Because I don’t feel like I’ve taken the path less travelled. I’m a middle-class white woman who went to high school, went to college, married a man, is raising a family, and now has a job. Isn’t that the most travelled road for my demographic in the developed world?
I guess the only way I may have taken a less travelled road is to follow my heart in terms of the work I do. When I realized my college degree wasn’t in a field that I felt passion for, I lost interest and pursued my love du jour, which was helping with fundraising and athletic endurance events for a not-for-profit. I cared about my work and threw myself into even thought the pay was terrible and the hours were long. I think a lot of people put a lot more financial value on their time than I ever did. I couldn’t stand the thought of being bored in my work, so if a job sparked my passion, that passion was a higher priority to me than money.
Likewise, when we started our family, we knew we wanted one of us to stay home with our kids while the other worked. Since my husband was on a career path, I volunteered as tribute. He was a graduate student on a teaching stipend, and me staying home without earning was not the wisest financial decision we’ve ever made. Having a second child under the same circumstance was even dumber (financially). We will be paying for those years for at least another decade.
During those years that I stayed home, though, I bonded with our kids, I launched a business, and I began writing in earnest, all of which led me to the place I am now: working at a dream job that pulls from my my random skill sets, that I’m passionate about, that keeps me at home with our kids, and that actually pays well. So I guess following my heart, if that is a road less traveled by, did make all the difference.
For the month of April, I will be publishing a 10-minute free write each day, initiated by a prompt from my prompt box. Minimal editing. No story. Just thoughts spilling onto the page. Thank you to Writeanne for the prompt, I took the road less travelled by, And that has made all the difference, from “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
Butterfly Mind 
Great post! Loved it!
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good for you! consider yourself fortunate, being home with your kids is a gift that you will cherish for years to come.
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How lovely that you used that prompt. I have the poem on the wall above my desk and refer to it often. To me taking the road less travelled isn’t just about doing something unusual – although inevitably that will be part of it. It’s also about taking the road that requires a leap of faith, a bit of courage, or a bit of imagination. You’ve definitely done that as you’ve brought up your children and pursued a career that enriches you. So well done, you. And another very good post.
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Trust me when I say that following the heart is 100% a road less traveled! And as whip cream on top of an already delicious cake, you were able to spend many years witnessing the growth of your kids. Lots of families let daycare raise their children. Just a thought.
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When I told co-workers that I would be staying home with my infant, one of them said she didn’t see why, that my children wouldn’t miss having me there. I told her, “But I would miss it.” I think it’s a difficult decision to make in a world driven by keeping up with the material possessions of others, but it’s a wonderful thing to do for your family if you can.
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This is very nice. I wish I can be like you in the future, following my heart and being successful and happy. 🙂
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