I’m reaching my four year anniversary of my porn career and I feel as if throughout my career I’ve experienced a much more unusual lifestyle compared to a civilian working at a bank. For obvious reasons, this is one of the most controversial businesses to work in especially in this day and age and I know I’ve matured differently because of it.
In high school I analyzed Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”.  It was one of the few poems that I remembered because it is about something which we inevitably face on a consistent basis: the matter of choice. The first stanza describes a fork in the road. The narrator illustrates an indecisive moment where he carefully analyzes each path and weighs out his options. Obviously, this symbolizes decisions we face in our lives.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
In the next stanza, the narrator finally makes a decision and walks slowly down his chosen path. His reasoning for choosing that path was because he felt that it was a less traveled path but came to realize eventually that it was worn “…really about the same.”

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
In the third stanza, the narrator continues to compare his decision and wonder what the outcome would have been had he taken the road that WAS used more frequently. He also “doubted” that it was too late to change his mind and that he cannot take the alternative road and must continue on. We can all relate to those moments in life where we wonder what would have happened had we chosen a different decision, but can only wonder for it is too late to turn back time.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
The last stanza has two critical words that are essential to the meaning of the poem: “sigh” and “difference”.  People could misinterpret these words to imply a positive outcome. My high school teacher suggested this poem to be about non-conformity. Her whole interpretation of the poem centers on the idea that usually the right “paths” in life are usually ones that are the hardest to walk.  However, others such as my college English teacher believe this poem isn’t necessarily about nonconformity, but is instead based on the idea that whatever choices we make in life will greatly alter our future. And will have to be the choice that we live with. He suggests the words; “sigh” and “difference”should be left up to interpretation, whether they are good “sighs” of relief or nostalgic “sighs” of regret. The main focus of the poem should be about not being able to take that “alternate route” due to other circumstances or more forks down the road.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Many of us relate to this poem. Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened had I not decided to be in porn.  For better or worse it is something that I cannot undo. I have a tattoo on my left wrist that symbolizes accepting one’s responsibility. I take full responsibility for the “path” that I chose.  I accept the fact that I cannot trace back my steps in time and choose a different fork in the road.  And that goes for any other decisions, small or big, that I make in my life.  I don’t look back with a regretful “sigh”. The path I have chosen has led me to different “forks”. I learned a long time ago that everything is relative. The cup is either half empty of half full. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances one is faced with. One can always make the best of any situation. And for me, in the end, that will have “made all the difference”.

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