Living Shadows

How well do we really know each other? People tend to hide their deepest thoughts, and conceal feelings that are as sharp as silver and capable of exposing the raw nerve of who they really are.

Some people will dive head first into the depths of love, and then suddenly retreat…because needing somebody makes them vulnerable and the potential for heartache is too terrifying to bear.

Other people never do much of anything…all along wishing that they had. Over the years their regrets form a filmy coating on their dreams; eventually contaminating their weary hearts with negativity and cynicism.

For some, time leaks like a rusty faucet, seemingly lasting too long while passing too quickly; staining their wide-eyed souls with chronic disappointment and numbing complacency. They have withdrawn from life, staying busy with a smattering of trivial nothingness, as they ignore a life that only they can live and the souls which only they can touch.

How well do we really know ourselves? Are we hiding from our dreams, afraid that they may never come true? Are we lying to ourselves, settling for less, because our pasts have been jaded, and to hope for something wildly wonderful is to risk experiencing more despair and loss?

Then there are those rare souls, who wax brave through adversity, and tell the truth, defiantly speaking forth the things that they need to the universe in spite of their feelings of inferiority and fear. They defy the pain, pushing forward in sweaty spurts, facing their demons and slaying their dragons, and as if by magic, serendipitous events change their paths, inspiring them to look inward for even more.

These are those who dare to love, and live, creating light in dark places, in spite of the exorbitant personal costs. These are the souls whose apathy is exonerated and whose exalted lives heal the wounds of hopelessness. They lead by resolution and their works inspire ordinary creatures to reach beyond their fears toward their own extraordinary paths.

We are each a part of the other, sharing common hopes and fears. Our eyes reflect our desperations and our aspirations. Our passions are as endless as our thoughts and as insatiable as the desert floor, yet our hearts are as different as our faces and our motives folded within our needs; ultimately our means will define our ends.

Carpe diem.