I went out into the world
Thinking I would find myself
Instead I discovered shadows
Some context:
I found myself thinking this as I walked back to my townhouse. I just finished a shift at the cafeteria and was in a normal mood. The shift had been slow, typical for a Sunday night. It was a quarter after 7 p.m., so shadows swept all around campus as the sun finished setting. Maybe it was the little streaks of night that spurned this idea or just my random mind.
Shadows often make an appearance in my writing. I shouldn’t be surprised when it pops up. Yet, I couldn’t shake this out of my head.
Generally, shadows can mean a variety of things. Supernatural shenanigans happen in the shadows. Twilight (the natural kind, not the vampire kind) is when night begins to wake. Anything can happen during this time of day–just think of the Twilight Zone.
Shadows are creepy, usually imply something sinister is happening, or show tensions or an inner war is happening. It also could just mean mystery and unease is occurring. Think to any cheesy detective photo: the detective or suspect is masked in shadows.
I’m not sure what it means in this little blurb of thought. Psychoanalysts can say, “Oh. You’re having an important inner struggle.”
I was not. I was debating whether I should fold my laundry or do homework. I knew the real answer would be neither. That’s not some crazy inner war.
Whatever prompted this random thought, I like the way it sounds. Maybe it’s a shadow of coming times. Maybe I need more sunlight. Who knows.
