As the road narrows

   It's only about a half mile from my front door to a major four lane highway, major by Maine standards that is. Interstate 95 can take you from northern Maine to well below the Mason Dixon line, deep into Florida. Traffic on 95 in Maine can be very busy, busy enough to cause a 100 car pile-up a few weeks ago in one of our many snow storms this winter. The accident even made the national news. But as Rt. 95 passes by the New York City and Washington D.C. area, traffic often comes to a standstill because of the number of cars and trucks racing to get somewhere. It could be to get to work, get home from work, get to the local grocery store or maybe just to “get out of town,” What ever the reason, there always seems to be lots of traffic, making the congestion in Maine nothing compared other sections of the country as one heads South down Rt. 95.
    For those living in the North, Rt. 95 is a way to escape the cold of winter and to enjoy warmer days and white sandy beaches in the middle of the coldest February on record. For those in the South, 95 is a direct route to the beauty of New England in the Fall, a delicious Downeast lobster dinner, to explore the history of Boston and the surrounding area (or see a Red Sox game), or downhill ski in the mountains of western Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont.
   And did you know that while Rt. 95 in one of the oldest interstate highways in the country, its final completion date is scheduled for 2018?
   With hundreds of exits along the way, it is easy for one to explore the local culture, the picturesque towns of New England, the rolling fields and farms of Virginia, and the sunny beaches along the shores of the Atlantic. And, for those with a real spirit for adventure, one can always join the mass of traffic shuttling in and out of New York City and the metropolitan area. Should I take the tunnel or the GW Bridge this time?
   Heading South and with a few hours to spare, I decided to take a brief side trip. Most exits along Rt. 95 have signs and markers identifying restaurants, gas stations and motels near the exit. I wanted an exit with no listings, just a solitary highway name or number. At the end of the exit ramp it was either to travel east or west. I chose 'west'.
   The trees were beginning to show signs of Spring with red and green buds. Daffodils lined the roadway as if someone had taken the bulbs and scattered them about by throwing them from a car window. Every so often, the carcass of a dead animal killed by a vehicle lay in the middle of the road. That last one was a skunk and the odor was still fresh in the air. The smell caused Lucky to pick up his head off the back seat and take a whiff or two, but he soon settled down and back to sleep.
   There were very few houses along this stretch of road and the deeper and deeper I drove into the woods, the narrower the road became. About 12 miles or so off the interstate the road turned into basically one lane, winding though a heavily forested area. Even if I had wanted to turn around, it would have been difficult. There were no driveways or areas wide enough to turn the car around and head back onto the highway. I had expected that at any time the pavement would end and the roadway would turn into an unpaved, graveled driveway leading to someone's hunting cabin or farm carved out in the middle of the woods. Well... No farm or hunting camp, but it did become a one lane gravel roadway.
    Life is filled with symbolism. Much of  life is like a four lane highway, filled with jobs, raising a family, an ambitious life style. We seem to do nothing but race from here to there, always on the move and sometimes even trying to get ahead of the next guy (or gal). No time to take the next exit! Got to keep moving forward!
   But then, all of a sudden, things begin to change. All of those things we thought were so important are not. The highway, with cars speeding pass at unbelievable speeds, isn't fun to be part of any more. Rather than continually driving in the passing lane, the right hand lane seems to be a bit more comfortable now. I still want to get where I am going, but if it takes a bit longer, that's OK.
   That exit I took, the one that narrowed to a one lane road... often that is how life sometimes feels as I get older. There are times I would like to turn around but I know that will probably not happen. The only option is to continue to move forward, despite how narrow the road seems to get.
   About two more miles down the narrow dirt path the road widened, the pavement returned and a double white center line reappeared. Ahead, I saw a road sign. A turn to the left was the way back to the highway, and to the right.....