Crossroad

Posted on 2006/07/07 03:04:59 (July 2006).

[6th July 2006]

Here I am.

Walking slowly towards a crossroad, no signals are to be seen, there are three paths that I can choose.

The main path that I walked on so far bends quite strongly and continues to the right, gently sloping down, very straight and easy, I can see it running down the valley for some miles and then I loose track of it with my eyes, maybe it ends there, maybe I cannot see further. On the sides there is nothing to be seen, only a plain countryside, someone must have planted some grain, but it isn't ready to be reaped yet. Further along the way there are only burnt fields, the usual medieval field rotation system.

On my left there is a similar path, this one on a plain, no slope to walk up or down. There are some holes and rocks every now and then, looks promising and longer than its counterpart on the right, there are yet more fields of grain and more burnt fields ahead, hardly exciting though.

One seems to be steep and enters a big forest that I can see in the distance.
The forest is impenetrable to the sight, and the path is clustered with rocks protunding from the soil.
It seems that the forest itself is on the coast of a bigger mountain, but the weather is not all that great and I cannot see the top.
Concentrating towards the green mass I can hear something, maybe there are some animals, or even monsters I am drawn to think.
I simply don't know, I have never walked such a way before, and now it stands in front of me.

I decide is time to set up a camp here for a while, choosing the right path is fundamental.

We never have counter-proofs on the decisions that we take. We go for them and we try always to make the best of them. Even when things go wrong there is something to learn, and in the end we try to really make things work the best for us.

On one side is because it's hard to admit a defeat, on the other side is because in any case we have no other choice, that was made before and you hardly get a second chance in life.

Sometimes I wonder if my experience in England would have been the same if I had gone to Leicester or LSE.

Probably.

John Hawkins would be probably called “Mark Rutherford”, and Tim Hastings would be a “Richard Cuthberson”, Rob Lang would be a “Frank McCoy”, but I want to believe that it would have been the same for me, exciting, hard but rewarding.

Sliding doors was a great movie, apart from the fact that Gwynet Paltrow is one of my favourite actress , but I'd like to have that chance to try out the paths before choosing them.
You know, that 15 days refund policy that you get in all the shops.

But that wouldn't be fair, life is not about being easy on you, so today I will probably choose the hardest looking way, and will try to make the best of it.
I have never gone for the easy choice before, and I don't see why should I do it now, but one thing is sure, it scares the hell out of me.

Five years ago, I joined this company, I didn't know anything about the product, the system or the market.

Today I am leaving for a business that I have seen in these five years but that I can hardly say I understand. I will have to do a job that has little in common with what I have done before, for a Japanese company (with all its problems and difficulties),mostly in Japanese (my third language in terms of knowledge and fluency).
On the top of this I will have to leave the cocooned world of being an employee, to become self employed.

If I was a gambler by choosing this I have just raised the ante by 1000% and in my hand I seem to have little...

Let's hope it work out well...

A nice piece Lox! I think you should follow a parallel career as a writer too!! :)

(and you were being poetic in English, which isn't your first language!)

I feel sure you will handle whatever choice you make with style and panache - certainly genuine committment.

Posted by Nigel at 2006/07/07 07:18:41.

Wonderful post Lox! I really regret that you and Lankhmar never finished your book... :-(
But maybe, now that you're coming back to Firenze you'll be able to work again on it.

Posted by Federico at 2006/07/07 07:48:49.

In the deepest part of his cave, the Diviner looks at his crystal ball. The huge adamantine eye above him shines, and reflects thoughts and sensations, amplifying them.
He sees another man, dark robed, waiting near a crossroad with a thoughtful expression... three ways in front of him, and he seems to hesitate.

Ah, my old friend, no "Finding the Right Path" here for you... or an exceptionally lasting Wizard Eye. I could send you advice through the glass, but even for me it's hard to foresee...

I'll try, anyway. I cast Vision.

Oh, that's what awaits for you.

Move the first step towards the forest, don't be afraid; because I haven't seen what lurks in the forest, neither what you would find in the other paths, but I saw, and I'm sure, that in the distance, after hills and waters, the three paths rejoin, with many and many others. And all of them lead to a safe haven, where you'll find what you search, whatever it is.
And, in case you wonder, none of the paths in front of you is really plain and safe; they all have dangers, that will make you fall. You will simply rise again, as you always did.

So come on, take the first step; and when you pass near this old Diviner's cave, join us for dinner, we have Herbs and Stewed Rabbit.

(Err, as for the Prato Company, don't make'em suffer: incinerate them quickly with a Fireball)

Posted by Lank at 2006/07/07 07:58:43.

After Lankh's post I add this:
Please Lankh and Lox, I'm still waiting to read the second part of your book. Please make a friend happy and write the conclusion.
For now i'm begging you, if this doesn't work I'll start with threats... :-)

Posted by Federico at 2006/07/07 10:30:26.

Stay away from Japan Lox! It reeeeally stinks!

Posted by John at 2006/07/07 24:44:13.

Too much to tell
too much to say
If I ponder on my thoughts
I will loose and they'll prevail.

They will feast upon my sanity
they'll destroy what's left untouched,
I will shut them one more night
I don't care 'bout them that much.

Then tomorrow I shall write
of the path and Lox's choice
for my keboard is my pen
and this pages are my voice.

Will you like it, will you not?
Will have Lox untied his knot?
I'm not sure what will you feel,
but accept, dear reader, please
that I'm drunk and tired and spent
and for me now's time to bed...

Posted by Lox at 2006/07/07 18:18:55.

Fede: I have already written AT LEAST 6 chapters of the second part, but SOMEONE is not writing so.... Anyways will try to convince Lank to continue once I am back in Florence.

Nigel: Thanks a lot for the compliments, I try my best, let's say this.. .:)

Posted by Lox at 2006/07/07 18:20:41.

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