The Narrow Path

A journey from conformity to individuality, seeking a deeper truth on a narrowing path.

In the beginning, we walked 500 abreast, proud, and instep, all marching to the same tune and singing the same words. The day came when we were no longer satisfied with milk. Our steps had become unsynchronized, our words had become different, and our hearts ached for a more profound, pure experience. We were out of place and began searching to fill the empty space.


We found a new place, a place where they were singing different words. They spoke with words that fit into the empty space we had. Not quite as proud now, we began to walk in step, 250 abreast, and we began to dance and sing, and we were all dancing together, all singing the same words. Then, the day came when we were no longer satisfied with mush; our steps had become unsynchronized, and our words had become different again. Our hearts ached for a more profound, pure experience, Once again, we were out of place and began searching to fill the empty space.


We realize now that we're in the river and being knocked about by various ideas. The personalities that pass as rocks to the left and right are rocks upon which we must be bashed, splintered, broken, and sanded, polishing the core where it's found.


Time passed, and once again, the day came when we found ourselves no longer synchronized. Our words differed because our hearts ached for a more profound, pure experience. We found a new place where they sang different words that fit into our empty space. We began to walk in step, 100 abreast now, and we began to dance and sing. We were all dancing together, all singing the same words. Then, the day came when we were no longer satisfied with gruel; our steps had become unsynchronized, our words had become different, and our hearts ached for a more profound, pure experience. Once again, we were out of place, and we began searching to fill the empty space,


We found a new place where they sang different words that fit into our empty space. We weren't quite as proud now as we began to walk in step, but we were only 50 abreast. We started to dance and sing once again; we were all dancing together, all singing the same words;
The day came when we were no longer satisfied with spoiled meat. Our steps had become unsynchronized, our words had become different, and our hearts ached for a more profound, pure experience; once again, we were out of place, and we began searching to fill the empty space,


We always found a new place where they were singing different words. Words that filled the empty space we had. Then, we were but 25 abreast, and so on, until one day, we looked around us and saw only a few. Now, far along the journey on this narrow path, we are but two souls clinging to one another. At different times, one stronger here, one stronger there, and we hold each other up, ingesting fresh spiritual meat while looking toward the heavens.
—Noisy Wren