Forgottonia: 1.3.12

In the early 1970's, the residents of 14 counties in western Illinois found themselves essentially cut-off from the state's transportation infrastructure by decisions not to extend Interstate 72 or build additional roads to bridge the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers that straddle this region. Their response was to declare their succession from the state, christen themselves 'Forgottonia," and name their own capitol where a local college student was tapped to serve as governor. Sadly, this grassroots movement to call attention to their imposed isolation eventually fizzled. As more and more people relocated to the more economically viable and connected parts of the state, Forgottonia's capitol city soon dwindled to a ghost town, taking its place among the other abandoned towns that dot these counties. This week Gemini, you should consider the upstart Forgottonia rebellion as an allegory for your own life's path. We all know the merits of taking the road less traveled, but sometimes it is helpful to remember that not even those less beaten paths will lead you where you need to go. Roads, as Forgottonia's citizens learned, are merely predetermined and defined routes. If you just try to follow the map, you never know what you may be bypassing or what forgotten truths may in fact be your destination.