On the right track.

"Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was tome to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up." -The Wonder Years

I've been taking lots of photos at the railroad tracks down from my house. It's especially one of my favorite places to photograph kids. They love to see what they can find here, they are happier so they are easier to photograph. I also feel like railroad tracks can symbolize a lot. In this photo you can see tracks in the distance. It can symbolize a journey stretching out a head of you. A long way to go. It can symbolize growing up, too. You can walk along the tracks and stop and look back to see how far you've come. But then you have to turn around and look ahead and see how much you have left to go. You can't see the end of the tracks. You don't know what are are gonna find. Rust, broken ties, grime, glass. And you don't know if you are going to stay on the same tracks, or end up on a different path. And you, you're kind like the train. You pick up some people, drop some off along the way. Have all kinds of baggage on board. Chuggin' on along, sometimes not sure where you are going, just hoping not to derail.

That train ride is so crazy sometimes. Sometimes it goes way too fast and you look out the window and everything is a blur. And then other times it seems like you are barely making any ground. Just inching along. Sometimes you lose your way and sometimes you know exactly where you are headed, but you don't like it and no matter how many times you switch tracks, it's still not the right way. But you keep going. Because you have to. Wondering if you will ever feel like you found the right track.

There are times when your burden is too great. You've got too many freight cars. You have to let them go and strike out on your own again. Some people won't let you go. They'll try to stop you. Break your engine down. But you are the conductor. You say where'll go, but remember those who help you.
And when the time comes and you stop again and you look at all you have ahead of you. Still a long way to go. When you look back to see where you've come from, through all the dirt, and rust, and wrong turns, going too fast, and too slow...

Don't miss the ones that are still behind you.


Blow your whistle and keep on rollin'.