Shortcuts vs The Longer Route
Sometimes there is a reason the “road less traveled” isn’t used often. Wise travelers have researched it and found it will take you nowhere or it will bypass the very things you need to see or do or it will actually take you twice as long to get to where you need to go–or it can lead to tragedy. Shortcuts and seldom used roads can be interesting but they can have many perils.
*A trainer told me he doesn’t use photos in PowerPoint because the “thumbnail” images he copied from image searches were blurry. I suggested he use one of the free photo sites available and he said he doesn’t have that much time, so he just grabs a thumbnail image. I said, “But, you aren’t using the thumbnails because they’re not clear.” He said, “Yeah, but they’re quick.”
*Recipe sites abound with people who give a recipe one star then list the things they changed about it. One woman on www.cook.com wrote, “This cake stuck so bad it was ruined trying to get it out of the pan! I didn’t have time to do the whole grease and flour thing so I used spray-on oil, but there’s no reason that shouldn’t have worked. Now I’m out a lot of money and time.”
*An acquaintance I knew from long ago told me recently about being fired twice. He said, “You know me, I take the road less traveled and that doesn’t go over well in a lot of these stodgy places.”
*One of the documents on church safety and security that I distribute is about how to conduct a thorough assessment of the status of every aspect of the property, people, places, programs and processes of a place of worship. It involves assessing in each season and at different times of the day and night, in a variety of ways. A security director wrote to me and said, “We used your material and it was a great help. But, we didn’t want to get involved with so much assessing so we just did it on a Saturday and called it good.”
*Last week I was in Salida, Colorado teaching a class for Sheriff Pete Palmer‘s deputies and some officers from the Salida Police Department. As usual I stayed in a motel on Highway 50 and I thought I was seeing most of Salida, a nice little town. It turns out, that is a bypass around the real Salida–which is much lovelier than I realized.
The bottom line: Of course there are useful shortcuts for some things and taking an isolated road can be interesting. However, when you’re learning a new skill, new habit, new process, new recipe or new anything else, do it the complete way, the way you were told, the way it’s described, the tested way. When you’re an expert you can develop shortcuts. Another bit of advice: If you are bound and determined to do your own thing, your own way, in life, work or relationships, don’t complain when the cake sticks to the pan.
This is Highway 50 that skirts the main portion of Salida
Tina, as a teacher and pastor I deal with this regularly when students want to eliminate the fundamental steps of research and practice to save time, then wonder why a paper, sermon or Bible study didn’t turn out so well. I tell them it’s like a tightrope walker wanting to get started quickly and look exciting right away, so he never prepares or uses a net. Good article, as always. Salida, Colorado looks very nice. We’ve been to Durango and thought it was wonderful (in the summer!)
Comment by D.R. | February 19, 2012
Last week I told D. to shorten some training to save time and also because a few people had said the longer version wasn’t needed. She sent me your link yesterday and told me that it is her opinion as the trainer that at least some of the cakes will stick to the pan! We’re going to meet to talk about it today and I thought you’d like to know how your article was used. 🙂
Comment by P.A.H. | February 21, 2012
In the Winter up here in Wyoming if you take the road less traveled you’ll probably have to be towed out. That could be one of your “life is like that” stories.
Comment by smartaleck | February 21, 2012
Dear Ms.Rowe,
I was interested in acquiring your Security information that you have. I can’t attend the seminar on June 17 2015,but I was wondering if I might be able to get the information in Word form.This information would be greatly appreciated for my church or if not, when will there be another seminar next year?
Comment by Karla | June 25, 2015