A TRIP TO SUCCESS

You have permission to publish this article in
its entirety, electronically, or in print, as long
as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy
of your publication, if possible, would be
appreciated. Or an e-mail informing the writer
of your use.
E-mail: akaptur@centurytel.net
Thank you.

Word Count: 664
Category:Inspiration/Motivation

A TRIP TO SUCCESS
By: Arleen M. Kaptur

Today's the day - our bags are packed and we are
on our way. Our destination is SUCCESS. Our
car has enough ENTHUSIASM in the tank and
we checked our 4 MOTIVATION tires to make
sure they are ready for the road. Our map is
clearly marked and we even brought a snack bag
filled with cans of PURPOSE and SPIRT as well
as assorted snacks named GOALS and PASSION.
We double-checked with our insurance carrier,
RESEARCH, and we are ready to roll!

The day is bright and sunny and the road itself is
a beautiful ribbon of smooth concrete. Driving
conditions are perfect and the scenery is
breathtaking. We come across our first road sign
just up ahead. It reads TRY ONLY ONCE - THEN
STOP HERE.
We decide to keep driving. But now the road is
getting rougher and the scenery is starting to get a
little bleaker. The clouds seem to be building up and
it looks like rain is in the forecast.
We keep on going.

There's a motel to the right with some cars around
it. It's called THE DESERTED DREAMS MOTEL.
There's also a restaurant on the left called THE BAR
OF LOST HOPE. We have our snack pack so we
keep on going.

We are trying to beat the storm that is fast
approaching. We notice a lot of abandoned vehicles
along the roadway, They seem dusty and old. We
hit a huge pothole and our car shakes a little.We decide
to pull into a service station called DETERMINATION.
They check out our vehicle and we are on our way
again. The road is now mostly gravel and the turns are
getting narrower. It is rough and bumpy and our car is
finding it hard to maneuver some of the twists.

A very large building is just ahead. It appears dark
and foreboding. There are no lights on but a lot of cars
and people are there. The sign says WECOME TO
THE HOUSE OF OBSTACLES. COME AND STAY
AWHILE WITH US. We keep on going.

Now there are a lot of people on the side of the road.
Some are pointing at us and some are laughing. A few
are throwing stones, but we incur no damage. A troop of
SPIRIT is fielding the stones so they never touch us.

The storm is right on top of us. It started with rain, and
now there is lightening and thunder. We are pelted with
hail and the road is slippery and winding.
There are some dark, dismal buildings alongside our road.
They have signs-DISTRUST, APATHY AND
DISCOURAGEMENT. They are run-down, with
broken windows and weeds growing all around.

There is a roadside turn-around with a lot of track marks
going in and coming out. The signs reads:
DOUBT-TURN AROUND HERE AND GO HOME.
We pass it by just as a car makes a turn and
heads on back to wherever they came from.

The road is now just a slit of what it was. The clouds
seem to be giving way and little specks of sunshine are
beginning to glisten in the raindrops.There is a clean
scent in the air - spring rain - an aromatic delight of
fields and flowers.

Then we see it - a rainbow - but not just any rainbow.
This one has every color you could imagine. It is spread
across our road like an arch and it is the most
breathtaking rainbow we have ever seen. Just past
the rainbow we come to a town sign:
YOU ARE ENTERING THE TOWN OF SUCCESS-
DON'T JUST VISIT - STAY WITH US.
We have arrived. We are safe and we are here. We are
a little tired so we decide to rest at the hotel called
GRATITUDE. We'll also grab something to eat at
an inn called APPRECIATION.
We have reached our destination.