The Road to Manhood...the Road to becoming Me..

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
--Robert Frost


As a child, I heard this poem so many times and never once grew tired of it. I never remembered the author, or even the words, but something about it spoke to me. Maybe it's because I was able to see that this poem was speaking about my future. You see, I was raised by a wonderful Grandmother(Gram), who always taught me to be proud to be Black, she never allowed me to speak of Black people in tones that did not do us justice(Black people were always we, or us--never "them, or they"). She helped me to see the beauty that comes from being Black, she helped me to see the greatness that can be achieved, even when no one outside your home wants, or expects, you to make anything of yourself! And for this I am Grateful!! I thank God for my Family: Gram, Momma, Daddy, Ry-fat, Chella, Uncle, Aunt Leona, Teeta-bom, Ketia, and LeLe...now this is not to diminish the importance of the rest of my family...but these are the people that I have had almost daily contact with throughout my life. I will speak about other members of my family as we progress. BUT these are the people that I think about on a daily basis...and long to see when I am away for too long! These are the people that influenced me to take the road not taken...the road less traveled by...