Gathering Blue: Is the Paved Path Always Right For Us?

"Stay on the path, and you shall be safe!" That was what Jamison told Kira when she went into the woods, and so is the motto of a lot of people. We could think of the path as the norms and traditions we grew up with. They had been made by the people before us, and so they guaranteed a safe and expected result. Straying away from the path meant that there would be differences and changes. There would be consequences, and the results might be either good or bad.
Life was not easy in Kira’s community. All members of the community were expected to be able to work and contribute. Those who were born with disabilities, would immediately be abandoned and left to die in the fields. When Kira was born a cripple, her mother, Katrina, fought to keep her. As a result, nearly all the other women in their community despised them. Katrina and Kira’s lives were lonely and hard. However, Katrina’s action would bring about a significant impact for the future of their community.

Katrina’s a talented weaver. She once worked as a weaver to fix the Singer’s Robe. Every fall, the Singer would wear it when he sings the Song of Ruin, which tells their history. It was one of the most important events in the community. Future events needed to be added to the robe, and for that, the council needed a weaver. Kira's prodigious talents caught the eye of the council, and therefore, killed Katrina and took control of Kira so that they could use her talents for their benefits.

At first Kira was grateful that she was given a chance to live and tried to live up to Jamison, her mentor's, expectations. However, she discovered the dark side of the authorities and the exploitation of talented children. Their talents were cherished, but they were not allowed to create their arts freely. They must follow Jamison’s instructions about what to create. Kira felt limited when asked to weave what Jamison wanted. After much struggle, Kira decided to go against her orders and weave her visions of the future onto the robe. Through this, Kira was able to make a better future for her community.

One of Kira's roommates, Thomas, was also an orphan. Just like Kira, his prodigious talent in carving landed him a spot in the government's quarters after his parent's deaths. He became the Carver of the Singer's Staff, which helped the Singer remembered the parts of the song. He would also carve the future onto the staff. Thomas also felt limited when he carved under Jamison's orders, but unlike Kira, he didn't go against them. He carved the future they wanted.

Even though both Kira and Thomas chose different paths, both ended up leading good lives. Following the societies’ expectations didn’t become a disadvantage for Thomas. However, he didnt make any improvements in his society, while Kira did. She reintroduced blue, which symbolizes love and compassion back into her society. An achievement that none other could do.

In our modern socities, high academic achievements are the ultimate goals because many people think that they will help you get high paying jobs and succeed in life. However, I think that what’s even more important than that is to follow your own passion and be innovative. People who follow their true beliefs and not just adhere to the society’s standards will be inspirational to others. They are the one who will bring new innovations to their companies or societies. Look at some of the world’s greatest innovators, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, both of them didn’t complete their university studies but decided to pursue their passion and their creations changed the world.

People go against the norm because of many reasons. Some don't intentionally go against it. Some aren't comfortable with it or disagree with the norms. Some just don't fit. Whatever the reasons are, as long as we follow our hearts and fight for what we believe in, we will make a difference.

The second book of The Giver quartet