You take that path. You don’t even consider veering to the left or swerving to the right for a bit, let alone a complete change of direction.

Why? You don’t think about that. The thought doesn’t cross your mind, regardless of how monotonous and long the walk may be. Because the path is simply there. Following it is so easy, so natural, so reasonable.

You don’t know who made that path. Or when. Or for what reason. Or for which purpose.

Maybe it was never supposed to become a path at all. One day someone walked off into that direction by chance. Others saw that the grass was trodden down and took the same way. With time, it turned into a visible path.

Nobody knows that first person, but everyone follows him. Nobody knows what he wanted, but everyone follows in his footsteps. Probably he was just looking for a place to pee.

Yet, the way people are following that path is the same way many of them are leading their lives.

(I took all of the above photos in July 2013 during a 5-day hike along the West Highland Way in Scotland. – Zur deutschsprachigen Version.)