The Other Side

An allegory about path dependency

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

This is your moment.

You’ve been preparing for this your entire life.

You just have to make it to the Other Side.

Storm clouds loom in the distance. Your tiny rowboat wobbles in the increasingly turbulent waters as you death grip the oars until your knuckles turn white. You’re surrounded by thousands of other row boats in tight formation stretching as far as the eye can see. 

It’s the annual pilgrimage to the Other Side.

A grueling journey across the sea to an island they say holds a magnificent civilization of luxury. No one’s ever come back from the pilgrimage, the current only pushes towards the Other Side. But you’ve heard the stories, the legends that made it to the Other Side and changed the world. You want to be like them. So you keep rowing.

The current pushes you out of formation for a moment. Your group leader yells at you to stay in formation. You readjust your boat. They say falling out of formation is a death sentence. If you get lost in these waters you’ll never make it to the Other Side. And why would you want to break formation anyways? All of your friends are here, it’s safe.

You’re snapped out of your thoughts by another strong current. You increase your rowing to compensate. You have to stay in formation if you want to make it to the Other Side. Another current slams your boat. You increase your rowing to compensate. This is getting a bit tiring, but you have to keep up the pace if you want to make it. Your surrounding boats are all keeping the pace in formation too. It would be embarrassing to fall behind. You keep rowing. Another current nearly knocks you off your seat and spills dark seawater into your boat. You shake it off. This is all just a test, to weed out the weak. You’ve been preparing for this your entire life, you’re not a weakling. You keep rowing.

It feels like hours have gone by, you’re still rowing. Your arms feel like jelly. Everything hurts. You’re exhausted. But you have to keep rowing to make it to the Other Side. Maybe the storm current will subside soon and you can take time to recharge. Everyone around you is still rowing, they don’t even seem tired. You’re such a slacker. You’re going to let these other people out-row you? You deserve to make it to the Other Side for all of the work you put in. They told you all your hard work would pay off and get you there. All those extra hours, extra stress, extra pain. You deserve this. You’re exhausted, but it doesn’t matter. You keep rowing.

Then, The Storm hits.

Rain pounds at you from every direction. The current is merciless as you row frantically. You can barely even see the other boats around you anymore. The current rips you out of formation. You keep rowing to no avail as you get dragged further and further out of formation. Still, you keep rowing. You have to get back in formation at all costs. They told you that you can’t lose as long as you keep rowing. But why isn’t it working anymore? The Storm is too powerful. One of your oars snaps under the pressure. You lose control of the boat as the current takes over the helm. You’re too exhausted to fight it anymore. Damn. What could’ve been if it wasn’t for this storm. It would’ve been nice to see the Other Side you think, as you submit to the will of the current.

You wake up in your boat to someone calling you from nearby. You look up to see clear skies and a forgiving sun. Wait. You’re alive! You get up and see a small group of row boats like your own in the distance. Survivors! None of them are in formation. Weird. Didn’t they say breaking formation meant certain death? How are you alive? You reach for your oars to row towards them but find nothing. The oars must’ve been lost in the storm. But how are you supposed to get to them? You feel a gentle nudge on your boat that pushes you towards them. It’s the current again. You wonder how lucky you are to be alive as the current guides you towards the group of survivors.

You meet the survivors and are surprised to find out that they’re not actually survivors, rather they’re people that purposely broke formation to search for another island. Another island? Impossible. You’ve been taught your entire life that there was only the Other Side. They insist it’s real. They’ve seen it. In fact, there’s a multitude of other islands behind the Other Side that hold civilizations even more extraordinary. Islands where you don’t have to stay in constant formation. Islands where you don’t have to row to survive. Islands where you’re free. The current will take you there they claim. You’ve survived this far, you just need to trust the current. Without oars there’s not much else you can do anyways. So here you go.

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

This is your moment.

You’ve been preparing for this your entire life.

You let the current take control, and guide you to your new Other Side.