Books Magazine
by Ashley Lister
I’ll be honest. There’s been some profound writing this week – moving stories about people who’ve taken the road less traveled. I admire individuals who are able to demonstrate their individuality. But, today, I’m not going to advocate taking that untrodden road. I’m going to encourage people to journey down the motorway with everyone else.
True: there might be the occasional jam.
True: the scenery is drab and uninspiring.
True: everyone else has been down this road before and enjoyed its charms and benefits.
But are these really issues?
Individuality, in my opinion, is not something that we as a society should really condone. I’m individual in many ways. My fingerprints are unique as is my retinal pattern and my DNA. But that’s as much as I do in my bid to be unique. In the majority of ways that matter I strive to be a part of the masses. I dress conventionally. I try to keep my personal hygiene within acceptable boundaries. I aim to find common correlative tropes within my poetry and prose so the material can reach a broad audience without being diminished by obscurity or inaccessibility.
Am I conforming? Absolutely.
Is this conformity done at the expense of my individuality? Most likely.
Do I care? Perhaps I should.
But, speaking as a conformist, I believe individuality is overrated. When I’m writing I use language and phrases that my reader can best understand. When I’m driving, I tend to use the road more traveled so I can get from location to destination in the most timely fashion. And, if someone asks me for directions to reach that same destination, I’d most likely tell them to use the most commonly traveled path.
There’s nothing wrong with exploring those less traveled path – but also, I don’t think there’s much wrong with following signposts and going in the direction that’s proved successful for so many who have gone before.