The Ocean at the end of the Lane

“Adults follow paths. Children explore. Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I often find myself wondering: why is it so difficult for us to wander off the well-known path? Indeed, children are never afraid of exploring, of taking the lesser-know way. They’re attracted to the unknown and unexpected. They say: Let’s go that way, because who knows what may lie ahead!, while imagining entire worlds full of magical creatures and possibly unforgettable adventures. Meanwhile adults say: Don’t go that way, who knows what may lie ahead!, and it’s not even fear that’s stopping them, but an automatic reaction. I do the same thing most of the time, and I’m not proud of it, even if it’s proven time and time again that the best adventures are unplanned.

Ocean_at_the -end_of_the _lane (x)

What I’m trying to say is: Just step off the path and don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone (at least from time to time)! You don’t know what might be waiting for you and that’s the fun part.