Here I am, stinking my toe into the Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

My first thought upon hearing the word "shortcut" is skimping; not doing something the way it should be done.  Taking chances that risk loss or harm.  Why does my mind go there first?  Likely because I have lived in a blue collar world were these type of short cuts cause harm most often.

As to the "short cut" that gets a person from one point to another in less time, those can be quite handy.  I have a few I take from time to time when out driving, but what excites me the most is not a shortcut, but a back road.

One can slow down on a back road.  Take in scenery, find the quaint, the unusual.  Mom and Pop instead of chains.  There is no extra signage on a back road to block the view.  There is a feeling of adventure and discovery on these blacktop or dirt ribbons.  A calm settling rather than a hurried frenzy.

Go ahead and take your short cut, and I'll take the back road.  You'll be there before me, but I'll arrive more satisfied.

Barbara