One of the finest sayings is: Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. It’s a slight adaptation from a 1905 poem by author Muriel Strode (1875-1964). Often, it’s wrongly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), who left no (audit) trail of this quote.
Most of us leave a family trail by having children.
Some of us leave a trail by achieving (world) records in sports (eg, Olympic winners-archaic, Olympic winners-stadions, Olympic medals).
A few of us leave a trail by academic achievements (eg, Albert Einstein, Nobel prize winners).
Some business tycoons have left a (temporary) trail (eg, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs).
The above represent the 4 main phases in our life: (1) learning, (2) sports, (3) work, and (4) family life.
I’m not sure if our family trail will survive as my brother has no children and mine do not seem eager starting a family. My working life (1981-2013) will have left few trails, if any. I do hope leaving a legacy (a.k.a. trail) through my writing. Leaving a trail seems vital in Life (eg, animals, humans plants, trees).
Perhaps, leaving a trail creates a sense of immortality. However, that is a (human) philosophical argument that would not apply to lifeforms without beliefs and belief systems (eg, trees). I would not be surprised if leaving a trail is part of the blueprint of Life, Nature and the Universe.
The existence of (audit) trails is so common in our life that we call events without a cradle-to-grave (a.k.a. audit trail) a mystery (eg, Fast Radio Bursts, Loch Ness monster, Nautilus, UFOs).
“Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, the trail leads not merely north and south, but upward to the body, mind and soul of man.”
A quote on the Appalachian Trail attributed to Harold Allen (eg, source-1, source-2)
Leave a Light On (2017) by Tom Walker
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-artist, Wiki-song
If you look into the distance, there’s a house upon the hill
Guidin’ like a lighthouse
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
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