“The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before
It always leads me here
Leads me to your door.”
~Lennon-McCartney

For the last several weeks, people in the Twin Cities have been seeing orange. It seems nearly every stretch of road has some form of construction happening. Large swathes of freeway will be closed for days at a time. Orange cones are arranged in straight lines along lanes or, even worse, seem to form some kind of snake-like effect that tests your eyesight and anxiety level. Even following the posted speed limits in these construction zones, I still have worries for the brilliant yellow and orange clad workers. The whole situation seems fraught with danger. Of course I am thankful that things are being updated and repaired before the snow flies. Goodness knows that once the pavement begins to freeze and thaw there will be potholes to contend with. And I am also thankful for the jobs that have been created by all the work of this construction.

However the last couple of days I have decided to change the course I use to get between the Cities. While commuting with my husband one morning along the East River Road, I realized that there was virtually no orange visible except the beautiful leaves that still cling to the trees or have fallen to the path that perches above the flowing water of the Mississippi. So the last couple of days, instead of creeping inch by bituminous inch along the freeway, I have taken to the more winding and scenic road.

Passing by lovely homes whose windows must provide a year round vision of the changing seasons makes for a very different commute. All along the path I am privileged to see runners, singly and in groups, getting a healthy start to their day. Bicyclists and I share the twists and turns of this lovely path. Their often colorful and stretchy clothing brings yet another surprising addition to my drive. Tuning my radio to different stations allows me to create a sound track for all this movement……runners, walker, bikers, people and dogs. A little jazz. Some Mozart. It is my secret that I have created a movie in which we are all playing a part.

One would assume that this change of course would mean leaving earlier, that it would take more time to reach my destination. Not true. Though I am perhaps not taking the shortest distance between two points, the drive takes almost exactly the same amount of time. Void of orange cones and reflective outerwear, this drive twists and jogs but I continue to keep moving, at a slower pace, but still going forward. Plus I arrive in a much calmer and happier mood.

The whole experience caused me to think of the many times I have continued to push ahead on the same, slogging path, stopping and starting creating only frustration about my hoped for destination. Or the times when the only view open to me was the sight of cold, hard surfaces, like bumpers, obstructing whatever lay ahead. How many of those times I have continued on, over and over and over again, never taking the opportunity to change my course! I have done this individually and in many of the circles in which I travel. Has this ever been your experience?

Changing my course these last few days has reminded me of the importance of shaking things up every now and then. Of going by way of a different road. Of choosing to veer from the accustomed paths. It is important in almost all we do.

If there are too many orange zones in your life these days, I invite you to make a left or right at the next turn. Try a different way to work or home. Try a new path to the same old problem, the continually nagging question. Who knows what might happen? If nothing else, for a few days you will be able to enjoy the new scenery. And that could make all the difference.