I've read that poem so many times; and it never fails to amaze me each time
I find something new in it.

A few readings ago I had the same question. Here are some comments on it:

- He may be justifying his decision by deluding himself as to the importance
of it.

- He may be admitting that it made little difference; "all the difference"
may not be much.

- He may be saying that traveling alone did have an effect because he was
outcast, has seen things from a different point of view, or was just lonely.

All of those apply to the discussion of what we should be doing with our
natural (and other) resources. If I choose to "take the one less traveled
by" and grow my own eggs, heat with wood from my own trees, etc... does it
make a difference? For any of us? Does it make a difference when we decide
to do something in a way that is different from what most of the people do?

- Are we deluding ourselves that we have any effect? There must be a huge
number of butterflies who have flapped their wings in Texas without causing
a hurricane in Florida, but what if the one who did, had not flapped it
wings?

- Would we do it that way without caring that it makes no difference? If we
only do it to make a difference, and it doesn't, why do we do anything?

- Does making that one little change in our path lead us in a direction that
changes OUR OWN lives, if no one else's?

I would very much recommend that anyone interested in these questions see
the movie "Nomads" with Pierce Brosnan.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B00005V9I1/jamesnewtonpers as it is
an entertaining examination of what happens when you start down a path that
someone else has followed. If you are a reader, try
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0553234226/jamesnewtonpers for the
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro mobilization of that screenplay. This is basically the
argument that parents use against "trying" cigarettes or pot. It leads you
down a path that may result in a sticky end. Of course, if your kid is that
easily led, you may have other problems...

In clinical studies, the effect of a treatment is quite often impossible to
really know due to the passage of time. Who can say how many would have
gotten well anyway? The floridization of water is a classic example. The
change in dental health used to justify it originally may well have been due
to better oral hygiene over the course of the study. The fact that fluoride
is an industrial waste that corporations would otherwise have to pay to
dispose of surly has no influence... A good read on how clinical studies are
done would be great... Let me know if you find one.

I do what I do because it makes me feel better about my life. I talk about
it and publish what I've found (bad and good) in order to brag, in order to
help, and in order to record some of my life for anyone who chooses to care
in the future. Basically all selfish.

And so, I end by saying, BUY LOCAL! Or don't, I will anyway.

---
James.
 
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu 
> [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of David Minkler
> Sent: 2005 Mar 04, Fri 16:33
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: Re: [OT] International paper madness
> 
> 
> >I took the one less traveled by,
> >And that has made all the difference. 
> >  
> >
> or not.  How would he know?
> 
> >Robert Frost (1874-1963).  Mountain Interval.  1920.
> >
> Dave
> 
> 
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