NOTE: I originally wrote this for the Chimes, the official publication of my school back in high school. This article is already four years old. But since it’s graduation season once again (and I’m going to graduate next Friday), I think it’s just fitting that I should repost it.

“Two roads diverge in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both”

These are the first two lines from the poem “The Road Not Taken” written by the famous American poet, Robert Frost.

Yes, it is hard to decide which road to be taken even there are only two choices. But what if on your way, you met an intersection that has three, four, five or more ways to choose from? For sure, things will be more complicated since there are too many choices to consider; you can’t just take a road without thinking. It might be the road that will change your life forever that’ll make you regret in the end.

We make decisions anytime, anywhere. Actually, we make decisions everyday. Sometimes we choose the wrong path… I know, some of us tend to go back and start allover again but sad to say, many of us forget that we can still go back and start again from the beginning to mend the things that we had messed. Even though we meet dead ends here and there we should not lose our hope.

If there are decisions that we cans still change, there are also roads that are difficult to escape from, as if you entered a labyrinth and can’t find the exit no matter what you do or you’re on a one way road that’ll not let you go back. These are the things that you can’t change forever. This occurs especially if you took shortcuts and dark alleys while taking the right path. As what they say, “Laging nasa huli ang pagsisisi.” We will only regret it once we’re running out of gas, once we are already lost.

I hope there are stop signs or slow down signs in the wrong roads so we can think twice and that they are not one way so if we choose to change our decision we can take a u-turn easily.

There are also times that while we are taking the right path we have to take detours and such. These detours are contrast to shortcuts — these will make our lives harder… a longcut if I may say. No matter how rocky or steep the road you took maybe and if you know that you’re on the right track, do not back out! Why choose one of those shortcuts if they will make your future disastrous?

Graduation is very near, I hope each and everyone of us will choose the right path. For now we should part ways, but in the end, I know, we will meet again… in the Finish Line.