Barriers

It's Wednesday and that means I made my usual trip into the semi big smoke for my pdoc appointment. Unlike last week's trip, today's drive was uneventful. There were no wild storms to tentatively navigate through and I didn't even catch a glimpse of a cattle road train. What bliss!

I decided to throw my camera in the car this time. Virtually all year I have been traipsing into the semi big smoke for my weekly appointment. As can be expected, I have come to know the highway and its surrounds like the back of my hand. I've often thought that it would be nice to stop along the way and snap off a few photographs. Today I finally did.

The above photo is the result of the stop I made today. It's taken just off the highway at what appears to be a rest stop for semi-trailers. In person it is quite a pretty view. The rolling hills are incredibly green for this part of the world due to all the recent rain. Despite the closeness of the noisy highway, the area elicits a sense of peace.

During the drive home this afternoon, my mind wandered back to this particular photograph. The image suddenly gained more significance. I was looking through the cattle grid to what could have laid before me at one time. However, there was and still is a problem. Grids, by design, are barriers for livestock. It is impossible for them to pass through. There I was, standing before the barrier. The promises of peace and perhaps a life worth living were within sight. These promises are unattainable though. The barrier can not be crossed. The promises are therefore nothing but a tease.