Detour, as a noun: a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route...
There is a detour sign on the road nearby my house. It is a daily reminder of the flood ravaged roads, and in a metaphorical sort of way, it reflects the road that my life has taken.
Unforeseen circumstances usually cause a detour. Sometimes you come upon them when you are least expecting it. Most times, you have no choice but to follow the path that has been chosen for you, a road that you may never have been down before. There is a bit of uncertainty associated with detours, especially the ones that take you along rural back roads and leave you looking for another sign, reassuring you that you are indeed on the correct route.
Detours can be frustrating too. I don't think most of us come upon a detour and think, "oh joy! a detour! just what I wanted to do today!" I mean, after all, one minute you are on schedule...things are humming along at top speed, plans to meet your destination are right on time...and suddenly you need to make adjustments...accommodate new turns, scan new horizons...and not by choice. Sometimes, there is not a map to refer to, and you are feeling lost.
Detours can require certain virtues, like patience (will this road never end?)...perseverance (are we going in circles?) fortitude (I think I can, I think I can) and forgiveness (there is no one to blame for the detour). To my way of thinking, the best way to get through a detour, is to remember that the roundabout is merely temporary...(this too shall pass)...and try to get the most out of the experience.
On my detour, I try to take notice of things that I am familiar with. I like knowing the names of the wildflowers that bloom alongside the road. I made a list of them the other day. There was only one that I could not identify, and finally tagged as sweetclover. Not a very pretty thing, but as it turns out it is very beneficial. It is only one of the surprises that I have discovered while taking my detour.
Here is my list:
Chicory
common mullein
vipers bugloss
butter and eggs
moth mullein
sweetclover
oxeye daisy
ironweed
bouncing bet
rosemallow
evening primrose
thistles
purple loosestrife
smartweed
fleabanes
milkweed
several species of vetch
daylily
sneezeweed
jewelweed
yarrow
Chicory
common mullein
vipers bugloss
butter and eggs
moth mullein
sweetclover
oxeye daisy
ironweed
bouncing bet
rosemallow
evening primrose
thistles
purple loosestrife
smartweed
fleabanes
milkweed
several species of vetch
daylily
sneezeweed
jewelweed
yarrow
3 comments:
What a wonderful list of discoveries. I like your focal point--familiarity. It can be a comfort. Some detours stick around for awhile. We have detours where I live due to last October's flooding--a washed out bridge, a historic waterfall...detour signs that I don't see anymore because I have become accustomed to them. Progress is being made...waterfall being re-built (& to historical standard) and we wait a little longer for the small bridge to return. And, yes, the detours within our own lives...
What a beautiful reminder that life isnt always the straight road, that at times we must take the path less followed.
Glad to see you can find the beauty in your detour.
It is good to remind ourselves that sometimes instead of spending all our time watching out for the potholes we have to look up at the big picture and enjoy the beauty even though our car feels like it is being shaken to pieces! Lots of potholes here in Pennsylvania!
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