All this talk about resolutions and following muses reminded me of the importance of deviations. True, I was the one touting resolve a week ago. But sometimes, even with the strongest determination, things come up that make you take a detour.
During a trip to
Then I returned home and the lovely Lucy had a museum exhibition. Among the art was a photograph of yours truly. I was touched. However, that didn’t cause the goose bumps and tingling nose that come right before I cry.
Here is the photograph.
At that time, I was studying for my masters, on the road toward a doctoral degree studying Hebrew and Old Testament. I loved the study. I liked teaching, but it wasn’t for me.
Lucy captured a moment of truth. I had one way to go, but I was deviating from it. It was difficult. If I stayed, I had the support of family, friends, professors, college advisors, even the congregation of my home church. If I left, I had a lot of explaining to do.
I left. And I have not looked back, not even once. An unexpected deviation has given me an intriguing job and the time to pursue my dream. As you’re plugging away on those resolutions, don’t forget to leave room to follow uncertainty or seek a different path to where you want to go. There is never just one way.
