The Forest Road

I was the year after college graduation. I was living away from home, more or less on my own, and with a new car which I could drive just about anywhere I wanted to go.  I, a child who grew up along the coast, was living in a more mountainous area. The common thread was lots of forest all around.  Driving around one day I came across a one-lane dirt road. The road led down into the forest so I turned the car and began the drive. The sun peeked through the leaves of the trees over the road, dappling the road and bringing out shades of green that were just incredible.  Deeper and deeper I went into the woods, the road seeming to turn at odd places, the dips got deeper the rises higher and the track narrower.  After a while I was noticing sharper turns and increasingly steep rises.

Then I reached a very steep climb. I put the car into the proper gear and went up but just as I reached the top I stopped, terrified. I couldn't see the road ahead.  The car's long hood seemed to be pointing at distant tree tops but what was just ahead for my tires was a total mystery. The trees didn't give much clue nor did looking out the side windows.  I must have sat there for 20 minutes or more, unable to go back and too afraid to forward. Even getting out and looking wasn't an option as the brush grew up against the sides of the track that stretched out behind me.  Was there really a road ahead or the edge of a sheer dropoff? If it was a road, did it go straight or curve to the left or right? If it was a dropoff, how big and how much damage could I expect? There wasn't any room to make a mistake, I thought. There aren't any "do-overs." I had to move one way or another.

I don't know why I dreamed about that incident last night. It happened so many years ago and I don't think I've thought of it more than a few times in all the intervening years. Mostly when it would come to mind it would be the beauty of the trees, the colors, the dappling of the sunlight, the sounds of birds and the rustle of the leaves in the unseen breeze. this time, though, it was the feeling at the top of the rise that came through.

I wonder --- is there a message here?  Something to ponder today.