Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though we pass them by today,

Tomorrow we may come this way

And take the hidden paths that run

Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

“A Walking Song” by JRR Tolkien

So, friends. Welcome to my blog, Taking the Hidden Paths.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Grace. I live in New Jersey with my husband and our three dogs. I am a Christian who was born and raised in a white, middle-to-upper middle class Christian circle and I am slightly obsessed with learning about the ways other people have existed in and experienced the world both in the present and the past. It is fascinating and humbling to be reminded that my experience of life is in the minority. I love to read and learn new things, I love traveling, sketching, painting, being outside, and camping.

For those who do know me, you might be surprised that I’ve decided to start a blog. I have also been continually surprised throughout the process of getting this started that I’m actually doing this. The world is already stuffed full of so many opinions that mine have always seemed fairly irrelevant, especially on a public forum. What could I possibly write that hasn’t been written a hundred times before? And if it’s already been written by far better writers than I, then what’s the point of writing it again?

Both of those questions imply that a prerequisite for writing is that it provides value to someone other than the author. There may be someone else who derives value from what I’m going to write, but that’s really not why I’m here. I don’t think my opinion or experiences are really so valuable or different that they’re going to make a difference for lots of people. They might make a difference for a few people, probably those with a similar background to mine to whom my experiences are relevant and complementary to their own. I’m mostly doing this because the act of writing is helpful and enjoyable to me. If through this blog I’m able to practice different writing techniques, explore new topics and ideas, and get comfortable again in front of my keyboard, then it was worth doing. You might point out that I can do all those things without making it public, but by going public it adds an additional weight of accountability and the possibility of feedback, positive or negative, either of which I would gladly welcome.

I’ve chosen the name “Taking the Hidden Paths” from a line in one of JRR Tolkien’s poems (the relevant stanza is copied above). I love the implication that there are more paths than I could possibly tread myself in one lifetime. It reminds me to have compassion and curiosity towards others who have walked paths I never will, and I find it impossibly exciting that there will always be more paths out there just waiting to be discovered. There’s a second version of this same stanza (see below) that carries the implication that one day all those hidden, untravelled paths will become known. While I’m not sure I will ever fully understand another’s experiences, I do believe that one day things that are hidden will be revealed, and we will be allowed to see many things clearly that for now remain obscured.

If you choose to follow along, you’ll be reading a lot about my faith, both present and past. You’ll read about my life, my family, and my three dogs. You’ll read about books I’ve read that made me think and how they challenged or encouraged me. And you’ll read short pieces of fiction I’ve written about all sorts of different things: this is where I’m really looking to stretch my creativity and practice some new things. You might learn some things about me that surprise you either positively or negatively, probably some of both. I am very private by nature and I feel like I am “showing my hand” by sharing things that feel too personal. But this is also why I think it’s so important for me to do this.

And if this is the first and last post of mine you ever read, I’m glad our paths crossed, if only for a moment.

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate;

And though I oft have passed them by,

A day will come at last when I

Shall take the hidden paths that run

West of the Moon, East of the Sun.