Whilst out running recently, I was greeted by the sight of the stile above. It stands alone in a secluded woodland and is not connected to any fences, hedges, wires or other barriers.

I have run this route many times before and not really noticed this anomaly. I have passed it and looked, but this time I stopped and stared.

Why is it here? What possible use does it have or purpose can it serve?

The more I thought about it, the odder it became. Who would put it up in the first place? Did it ever serve a purpose or was it always disconnected from everything around it?

Was it a joke, a modern art piece? Were there hidden cameras around to capture the confusion of folks like me who stumbled upon it?

Looking around further, I realised that it was positioned at the intersection of 3 paths: a wide path at the top and two smaller ones coming down off the top one and diverging beyond the stile.

Was this the point of it? Did it mark a point where the journey has a number of different options that will inevitably take one to very different destinations?

I had a feeling that this moment was important to me in some way, so I took the photo and moved on a few steps on my original path.

Then, on impulse, I turned around, went back up to the stile and climbed over it: first one way and then back again, jumping off into the mud with a splash.

It felt good and I continued on my way with a smile, knowing that I had learnt something important: there are times when the rational mind cannot give us an answer to our questions, for there is no answer to be found – we just have to enjoy the moment and then move on.