All Roads Lead to Rome

"Dad," my son, Vince said to me.  "Sometimes people say things that aren't true."

"I suppose that you are right," I said.  "What were you thinking of?"

"People say 'All Roads Lead to Rome,'" Vince answered me seriously.  "But the only way to get to Rome from here is by boat or airplane.  So, I don't think any of our roads lead to Rome."

"Maybe they are just saying that if you drive far enough in any direction your cell phone will go to 'Roam' mode," I suggested.

"You're just joking," Vince said and moved off to think about something else (probably what the saying 'There's more than one way to skin a cat," actually means).

Of course, the saying references the glory days of the Roman Empire.  In that era, distant lands were linked by Roman roads that ran straight through swamps and high mountains, taking the trade and armies to the furthest reaches of the empire.  But if you went far enough along any of them, they would eventually lead you to the center of the empire, Rome.

People who use this saying are really saying that there are many different paths that end up at the same place.

This simply isn't true.

There certainly are a lot of paths that end in the Mountains of Disaster and only one that leads to the Vale of Victory and the heavenly city that lies beyond.

I have heard it said that it is far better to choose your destination first and then pick your road than to pick your road and hope it ends someplace worth visiting.  All too often, people would rather choose a road where the entrance ramp looks nice and their friends are all going on it.  This is really dangerous.

Not all roads do lead to Rome.

Just ask Vince.