"When you come to a fork in the road..."

Some people describe the "fork in the road" as "being at a crossroads". When I think of "crossroads" I think of a four-stop intersection, a pause to consider the following:
1. Do I continue straight along the same path?
2. Do I turn left and consider this new path?
3. Do I turn right and consider yet an alternative path?
4. Do I just sit idle, not doing anything.

For quite some time, I was sitting idle in my life, going through the motions of an endless cycle of work and not work, more work and less not work. I had my proverbial car in park and sat around waiting for things to change and waiting for things to happen. The reality is not much changes on its own and things don't just happen because you hope they might or want them to. I realized the only way for change to come and for things to happen was for me to put my foot to the pedal, push the gas, and set myself back in motion.

I pushed the pedal and decided to turn.

Goodbye, current job. Goodbye, Memphis. Goodbye, financial security, health care, stability.

Hello.... ?????

The bottom line is that sometimes I find myself uncertain about the paths in my life. The path I have been on over the past few years does have rewarding and worthwhile moments. But there's something and (possibly somethings) missing. The only way to find those other things is to change paths and take a new course. Is it scary? Sometimes. Is it overwhelming? Definitely. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

I may be uncertain about the paths of my future, but I am certain I made the best decision for myself at this moment in my life. I'm near ready to step off the path in Memphis, and onto a temporary path back home in PA. I'm ready for turns. I'm ready to push the gas and see where life takes me.

And if nothing else, I can always fall back on the fork in the road, the place where feeling uncertain and scared mixes with feeling excited and exhilarated.

The roads are open, and that means the possibilities are endless.