Consolation of the Open Road
I stared down at my book, the words swimming in front of my eyes. I took my earphones out and glanced at my watch. The numbers 1:30 flashed back. Sighing to myself, I rubbed my eyes and quietly made my way from my desk to the bathroom, careful not to wake my parents who are asleep down the hall.
I flipped the light switch on and glanced in the mirror. With a jump, I noticed a figure standing behind me. I spun around but saw no one. Confused, I began to look behind the shower curtain when I heard a soft voice from behind me saying my name over and over, “Alissa. Alissa. Alissa.”
I slowly turned back around and see a man in the mirror in front of me. His curly, brown hair was pulled back and he absentmindedly played with the bracelets on his wrists. I glanced back over my shoulder, wondering where he was.
“I’m not behind you,” He murmured.
“Then where are you?” I asked.
“I’m always going to be in front of you,” He laughed, his teeth flashing in the dim light.
I stared at him through the mirror. I took in his appearance, noticing a key that hung from an old leather strap around his neck. He was taller than I was, and his head rose above my reflection’s. He wore a faded and wrinkled tie-dyed t-shirt that hung crookedly from his shoulders. His dark eyes seemed to dance in his tanned face. Shaking my head, my glance moved from him to my reflection and then back to him.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“You know who I am.”
I stared at him for a beat before responding, “You’re the open road.”
He smiled again, his entire face brightening as if a ray of sunshine danced across it. “That’s right. I’m all the opportunities and experiences you’ll get to have in this life. I’m the pull you feel in the pit of your stomach every time you’re about to make a decision. I’m all of the things that led you to where you are today, and I’m here to help you.”
“Why do I need your help?”
“Because you’re at a crossroad right now, and you’re too scared to decide which path to choose.”
“I didn’t realize I was scared.”
“You’re always scared. I know you too well for you to try to pretend otherwise.”
I fidget uncomfortably. “I don’t think I’m always scared. That seems a bit like hyperbole to me.”
He tilted his head and held my gaze until I coughed and looked away. “Okay, so what are you here to help me with?”
“Well,” he straightened up, “You’re trying to decide if you want to go to Faulkner or not.”
I laughed bitterly. “No, I’ve already made that decision. I’m not going. It’s too far from home, and besides, I don’t even know if I want to go to college in the first place.”
He shook his head at me again. “Alissa, you have been dreaming of going to college since your first day of kindergarten.”
“Well, yeah, but- “
“No ‘buts.’ That’s an excuse.”
“Maybe it is, but I’m still not going. It’s too far from North Carolina, and all my friends are here, plus my family. And besides, I can’t take my dog with me, so I’m not going.”
He rubbed his eyes before responding, “My dear, what is the one thing you have always wanted from life?”
I frowned and looked down at the sink. “I want something new.”
“And here is something new.”
“But what if I don’t make any friends? What if this is a mistake? What if I fail all my classes and lose my scholarship and have to come back? What if I can’t do it?”
“Maybe you make friends and maybe you don’t. You have never needed anyone’s approval before, so why start now? And your parents have raised you to believe that mistakes don’t exist. If this is the path God has set you on, He will ultimately lead you to success, which comes in different shapes and sizes.
“You have only made one B in your entire academic career, but let’s pretend that you do fail every single one of your classes your first semester of college. So, you’ll have to come home, and you can come back with your head held high, knowing that you gave it your all.”
I let out a shaky breath and meet his eyes again. “Am I really doing this?”
“You really are. Now go get some sleep so you can be well rested for tomorrow. Your whole life is before you, and you need to be prepared for whatever comes your way. And Alissa?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t get too comfortable in Montgomery. I have more adventures in store for you.”
I flipped the light switch on and glanced in the mirror. With a jump, I noticed a figure standing behind me. I spun around but saw no one. Confused, I began to look behind the shower curtain when I heard a soft voice from behind me saying my name over and over, “Alissa. Alissa. Alissa.”
I slowly turned back around and see a man in the mirror in front of me. His curly, brown hair was pulled back and he absentmindedly played with the bracelets on his wrists. I glanced back over my shoulder, wondering where he was.
“I’m not behind you,” He murmured.
“Then where are you?” I asked.
“I’m always going to be in front of you,” He laughed, his teeth flashing in the dim light.
I stared at him through the mirror. I took in his appearance, noticing a key that hung from an old leather strap around his neck. He was taller than I was, and his head rose above my reflection’s. He wore a faded and wrinkled tie-dyed t-shirt that hung crookedly from his shoulders. His dark eyes seemed to dance in his tanned face. Shaking my head, my glance moved from him to my reflection and then back to him.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“You know who I am.”
I stared at him for a beat before responding, “You’re the open road.”
He smiled again, his entire face brightening as if a ray of sunshine danced across it. “That’s right. I’m all the opportunities and experiences you’ll get to have in this life. I’m the pull you feel in the pit of your stomach every time you’re about to make a decision. I’m all of the things that led you to where you are today, and I’m here to help you.”
“Why do I need your help?”
“Because you’re at a crossroad right now, and you’re too scared to decide which path to choose.”
“I didn’t realize I was scared.”
“You’re always scared. I know you too well for you to try to pretend otherwise.”
I fidget uncomfortably. “I don’t think I’m always scared. That seems a bit like hyperbole to me.”
He tilted his head and held my gaze until I coughed and looked away. “Okay, so what are you here to help me with?”
“Well,” he straightened up, “You’re trying to decide if you want to go to Faulkner or not.”
I laughed bitterly. “No, I’ve already made that decision. I’m not going. It’s too far from home, and besides, I don’t even know if I want to go to college in the first place.”
He shook his head at me again. “Alissa, you have been dreaming of going to college since your first day of kindergarten.”
“Well, yeah, but- “
“No ‘buts.’ That’s an excuse.”
“Maybe it is, but I’m still not going. It’s too far from North Carolina, and all my friends are here, plus my family. And besides, I can’t take my dog with me, so I’m not going.”
He rubbed his eyes before responding, “My dear, what is the one thing you have always wanted from life?”
I frowned and looked down at the sink. “I want something new.”
“And here is something new.”
“But what if I don’t make any friends? What if this is a mistake? What if I fail all my classes and lose my scholarship and have to come back? What if I can’t do it?”
“Maybe you make friends and maybe you don’t. You have never needed anyone’s approval before, so why start now? And your parents have raised you to believe that mistakes don’t exist. If this is the path God has set you on, He will ultimately lead you to success, which comes in different shapes and sizes.
“You have only made one B in your entire academic career, but let’s pretend that you do fail every single one of your classes your first semester of college. So, you’ll have to come home, and you can come back with your head held high, knowing that you gave it your all.”
I let out a shaky breath and meet his eyes again. “Am I really doing this?”
“You really are. Now go get some sleep so you can be well rested for tomorrow. Your whole life is before you, and you need to be prepared for whatever comes your way. And Alissa?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t get too comfortable in Montgomery. I have more adventures in store for you.”
I love how you bring the decision making process to life and show the thoughts involved in making choices. Each argument the open road made in response to all the fears made sense and showed how reasoning is a person’s best friend when fears come knocking., and that it’s okay to feel that way as long as they don’t stop us. I especially liked the ending, because it highlights how open road isn’t just for certain times in life, but that the whole future is ahead of us with choices to make.
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