Footsteps

It is easy to think one is alone.

And I don’t necessarily mean lonely. To clarify, it is easy to think one is original—a person’s identity, ideology, and lifestyle are not formed from language, society, history, family and personal motive. For some, it is easy to think one has a duty to do something alone, original and radical to change this world for the better.

There is a path I walk quite often from my place to town and to homes that house my friends. Many times I walk this path alone after a long and late night out.

A few days ago it snowed here in Canterbury. A good 5 inches at least. Though the snow has been melting there is still evidence of the many feet that take the same path as I down Tyler Hill. Now some of these tracks deviate left and right throughout the length of the hill to go to their respected destinations or to simply make a snowman (or snowwoman,) but the point is that there is a snow-packed path full of sole imprints.

These hardened snow tracks caught my eye as I walked up the snow-covered hill to my resting place the other night.

I might have been alone, apart from the population of rabbits that take note of each passerby. I might have been walking to a destination by my lonesome.
But each of my steps stepped on the former steps of many.

And I wonder what those footprints would have to say…