Taking the Low Road

I had my excuses for taking the low road, but Dad wasn’t accepting them. At the time, I could blame my parent’s divorce, a difficult new stepmom, and stress over trying to be so perfect.

But Dad shook his head sadly and said, “You’ll never get anywhere good taking the low road.”

It was an unforgettable scene in my mind. I was 15 and old enough to know better, but I felt it was easier to just give in. Who cares if I take the low road?

I had disappointed my dad, my teachers, and if I were honest, I should have disappointed myself. But taking ownership of my poor choices would have required me to be more humble—and that was not happening, yet.

I can look back on that season in my life and see how traveling along the low road wasn’t a one and done event. The low road is always accessible. It’s amazing how smooth the road is—at first.

Turning around once you’re on the low road does require humility. It’s being able to say, “I was wrong.” I’m much better at saying those words than I used to be.

The high road isn’t without its potholes. But you know that the destination is a better place to be when you arrive.

As we think about our fathers and all they taught us—the Low Road Lesson still helps me.