Short-Long

While walking to the internet, I decided to take a shortcut down the high school's steps instead of trekking down the steep incline of the mountain in a round-about way. It occurred to me that the gate around the school might be locked, but I quickly rejected the thought, assuming there would be at least one exit to the internet- after all, I wasn't the only one using the steps right next to the community center.

I walked down the dimly lit stairs, amazed at how the stairs make the way down from my apartment seem so much shorter. As I neared the bottom, I look for the familiar gate, always kept wide open, but it is too difficult to see in the dark. Approaching the gate, I begin to worry- the gate looks closed! I check to make sure, and I feel the heavy lock; the loud clink echoes in my ears. I head towards the next gate, praying it will be unlocked... It, too, is sealed to the public. I run, now, my heart pounding, mind reviewing the possible exits to the unyielding fence. I find the last one, a smaller gate, yet this one is also locked.

I turn around, wishing the desire to cut my time had not risen into my head. All those steps... Now the high school campus is a prison, the thick fence getting tighter and smaller every second. Now my only way out is those stairs. I consider climbing the fence- my destination is just meters in front of me- but it is designed against jumpers: the top is bent, and the holes are not enough to put my foot through. Now what?

I have no strength to go back up and down around again. I can not jump the fence. I am trapped in my desire to take the shorter route. Now I understand frustration. I try once more to find an exit, not wanting to accept defeat, and lo! Here is another gate nearly closed, much farther away from my usual exit, screaming 'freedom!'

As I slip through the narrow passageway and run the short distance to the internet, I am in wonder from my encounter. Now I understand the 'short-long way'- we think we are doing ourselves a favor cutting corners and being naive, but sometimes we may not find a gap in the gate. Sometimes we are forced to re-start our entire approach and come to our ultimate destination in a way we never deemed a possibility.

Sometimes the long way is really the most direct.