June 8, 2011

The Road Not Taken

I threw the poetry book out my car window. I don’t think it’s littering if I’m sitting in my car, parked right off campus. It’s two hours before lecture. I’ve gone through every possible question-and-answer scenario for the lecture on “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost. Preparation will not matter. I never seem to have the “right” answer for my best student, Matt.
 
My teaching motivation has suffered now that I have come to the conclusion that Robert Frost was mistaken. The road “less traveled” does not guarantee a positive outcome. Frost failed to mention the forks on the road, the difficult choices to be made at the crossroads. On any given day there are simply too many roads to choose from.
 
Reluctantly I pick up the poetry book, but not before ensuring that no student has witnessed the scene. Today Matt does not make it to class. During office hours Matt and his wife, Megan, come by the office. I don’t understand why they look so sad. The semester is almost over, and they are both graduating. They’re expecting their first child. This is a happy journey! There’s just one problem: Matt has to take an incomplete in my literature course.
 
“I am really worried.” Sitting in my office, he tells me about headaches and complications with his diabetes. “Tomorrow we have a long day of tests: scans, MRI . . .” He sighs. “If I’m sick, will you work with me on an incomplete?”
 
2011 1516 page23We quickly find a notepad and calendar and chart a path toward completion. An incomplete will provide additional time to complete the course. I tell him I will pray for good news. The following evening, I receive a call from Megan. Matt has a brain tumor. It is operable, and treatment begins in the morning.
 
In my mind’s eye I see Megan standing at the crossroads. New appointments and deadlines lie ahead: a birth, operations, and treatment. “I don’t know where to begin reprioritizing. I am standing still, praying for enough faith to move forward. It feels dark and quiet. Can you imagine?” Yes, I can. It is the frightening silence we have all experienced when standing at a fork in the road, pondering which path to take.
 
Hours later the painful realization of how complete my life appears to be is keeping me awake. I decide to rethink the continued class plan on Frost. My textbook has illustrations of “The Road Not Taken” depicting Frost, alone, sitting on a horse, holding a lantern to illuminate the way. Two roads to travel, and only one can be taken. Frost shares a vignette of an incomplete journey. We do not know what brought him to the two roads or what travels entailed. A leap of faith?
 
Three months have gone by. At work I receive an e-mail message with the subject line: “Frost’s Road.” The message is from Matt and contains three attachments. The first is his final literary research paper on Robert Frost. The second is an electronic greeting card that reads simply: “Dixil, the road has been rough, but the path has been steady. God remains our guide, so I do not fear the choices at the crossroads.” The third attachment is a family picture: Matt, Megan, and Baby Erica. Under the beautiful picture is a caption: “Complete.”
 
I smile. It is obvious now: the road less traveled is not a path we take alone; God is guiding our way. There is no need for a lantern; God’s grace will light our path. There is no reason to pause. What I see there is the obvious. . . . I see myself:
 
NAME OF STUDENT: Dixil Rodríguez
COURSE NEEDING AN INCOMPLETE: Life 101
REASONS FOR INCOMPLETE REQUEST: Coursework is too difficult. Student needs time to reflect on the inherent need for faith in the daily spiritual journey. Student needs to be more reflective and thankful for all the incompletes in her life.
SCHEDULED DATE FOR COMPLETION: Working on it.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Ps. 28:7).
 
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Dixil Rodríguez, a college professor and hospital chaplain, lives in Texas. This article was published June 9, 2011.

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