@Lauren2655sometimes in life we have to go backwards to go fwds, that is probably more relevant to those of us living in cities than those in the more natural countryside environment.
Cities were once rural locations & roads started off as bridal tracks where horses & bullocks transported people across the miles in much harsher times of living.
They then became a smattering of stones/ gravel mixed in clay, mud etc before concrete roads & tarseal.
Your story reminds me of a story I read, with photographs of New Zealand roads not that many years ago where small sized cars got stuck.
There's lessons for everyone with super size me vehicles, tarseal & concrete jungles everywhere & what we expect in our lives and balancing out with "nature" and a quiet rural environs which have been encroached on by human beings.
Interestingly we have an exhibition on the many varied materials used over the years for footpaths/ carriageways at our Central Auckland Library that a wise gentleman long time associated with Auckland Museum gathered & created over the years & which by chance came across this last week.
It's a little like people saying there's a bear in my backyard where places have taken over our animals natural habitats.
In general terms to all, Next time you are out driving, or walking, look around, observe what is there & be thankful for what you have you could be trying to walk in knee deep mud to go to the shops, which carried far less provisions that we have today, like those before us 100 yrs ago.
Note also which trees are where that were planted at main location points for our betterment with navigating where we are both on land and at sea.
In New Zealand they are often a Norfolk Pine tree that stands tall in the distance at a road intersection where Bridal Tracks & dirt roads were first created.
See my reply to @Helen350
All the best
Note, we don't have bears in NZ!
