Half-sick of shadows

Part 1 Behind the glass

How many sit on the outside, looking in, experiencing life through sight but not through living it?
How many know pain as their best friend, and little in the way of hope or love?
How many aren't jealous of what they see on the other side of the glass, but long for it, just a taste of it, a touch of it?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bb9d2423101d.jpg[/atsimg]

Do we spin the webs of our lives the way we want to?
Do we do it the way we are told to, the way it is less scary to do?
Do we create an intricate, exciting epic in our web, or is it a short story?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cfaacb56b903.jpg[/atsimg]

We live in a society of billions of people, brushing past each other on the way to and from home, yet never truly touching.
We interact all day long with others, yet how much of it is actually meaningful on a personal level?
We struggle to make ends meet, we endure the stress of just living in this world, stress we take out on ourselves and our loved ones, if we have loved ones.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a93b3c4c1f58.jpg[/atsimg]

Our freedoms get taken away a little more each day, and we are too afraid of losing everything to speak out.
Our lives degrade a little more each day, and we are too afraid to step forward and make change.
Our loneliness grows as our personal space shrinks and we are too afraid to embrace those closest.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/37f620b2931e.jpg[/atsimg]

Fear breaks down society and turns it into something dark and ugly and angry.
Fear creates war and nightmarish dreamscapes and future realities.
Fear keeps us from taking back what belongs to us by the very nature of our souls and energies.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/89c345ceca15.jpg[/atsimg]

Part 2 On the outside

She sits at her window, looking out at the world passing by, living with her fear, living alone, feeling the spark as an ember burning deep inside, and she wants to get up and walk outside.
Will she be the Lady of Shalott or will she be the spark of change?
Are there others who can walk beside her while she quakes in fear and then steps past that shadow into the light?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/37644d8e90a0.jpg[/atsimg]

"I am half sick of shadows" she said, and then she gave up the life she knew to take a chance on change. The end result was tragic to some, but she knew it was a chance she took, and she was able to leave her fears behind.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ceedcca4b006.jpg[/atsimg]

A spark ignites in the darkness and a shining light steps forth in the face of incredible adversity.
For a moment, fear is overridden by that light and other lights step forward as well.
Change is created, embraced, loved, and utilized.
Other lights, once dimmed, spark forth with courage and the wave of change continues.
This is the war that is needed now, this is the war we must embrace, though our fear keeps us back, keep us in shadows, until that one spark ignites again.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/753077d8b931.jpg[/atsimg]

How big of a shadow do you cast on those around you? Do you make sure the light you cast is bigger than the shadow? Do you walk through life with sunglasses on or with a flashlight?
Can we overcome that fear of change to take that leap as well, regardless of the outcome?
The only way to create that change is to take that first step outside. Care to join me?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d847f5da784a.jpg[/atsimg]

What a beautifully written and illustrated thread, thanks so much for inviting me to view it.

I think we are all half sick of the shadows of half and partial truths and lies on this world.

So much beauty we fail to enjoy because of it.

Wonderful thoughts.

"Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world."

Shed light into others' lives, indeed, without any fear of or attachment to the world. But you do not need to look around the world to see. When you look here and there, you will not see it, but rather, when you look within yourself, then you will see it all around you. There are no shadows cast within oneself from their inner light, and when the light manifests from within to the outside, others will start to see if they are willing to. Many become One, and One has no shadows.

Teach and spread to those who are willing to hear.


Is this what you are talking about? If so, we are on same page.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Thank you Proto. That means a lot coming from you!

Originally posted by AdamsMurmur

Is this what you are talking about?

If so, we are on same page.

edit on 13/5/11 by AdamsMurmur because: (no reason given)

Well, not really, no. I wouldn't qualify it by simply quoting scripture and espousing religious doctrine or belief and then talk about witnessing.

It is more about the fact that we are in a status quo these days, watching things develop around us and being too afraid to create change, first in our own lives and then in the world around us.

It is about the fear we are all feeling these days as we watch events unfold and feel helpless to do anything.

It is about perpetuating that fear on those who love us and those we impact daily rather than being the example of change we need to be.

That said, there are many who need to do things your way, who gain strength from feeling as you do, and that is a good thing too, as long as change is made. Right?

Just in general, for those who are not familiar and don't understand the half-sick of shadows comment, and talking about being behind the glass and spinning the web of our lives, this and the pictures in the op are all about The Lady of Shalott, written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. This is a story that has moved me since the first time I heard it.

The Lady of Shalott

Here is a musical version of the story, done by Loreena McKennitt.

Ceri,


I couldn't have said it better myself. What a beautifully written post. I have always followed the saying: "Be the change that you want to see in the world." I'm trying very, very hard.

In my interpretation, one quote stands out in my head. It's something Jules from Pulp Fiction says at the end of the movie:

"I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm trying Ringo, I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd."

I think about that because those that still cannot see through the half-truths and full-on lies in this world are playing the role of the tyrannical men. Those of us who are trying to be the light in our own little ways are the shepherds.


We all get sucked up into this day to day crud. We're afraid how bills are going to be paid, we're afraid of where our next paycheck is coming from, we're afraid of losing a loved one, we're afraid of what the government is going to do next; the key point is that we are afraid.

When did humanity collectively decide to go from a brave people to a bunch of scared little puppies? Our grandparents saw harder times, and their grandparents saw even harder times, yet we're still here. Something must have went right.

A shadow only shows itself when you allow yourself to block out the light. I just wish more people would let more light into their lives. Shadows disappear in the light. We live on a beautiful planet, with beautiful people, with so many wonders abundant. The best we can do is to keep doing what we're doing: spreading light where there is none, and taking away the shadows one person at a time.


Thanks for posting this Ceri. I needed your post more than you know.





Peace be with you.

-truthseeker

reply to post by truthseeker1984


You know I love you TS and I am more happy than you know that I was able to put into writing something that meant something to you. Thank you for your kinds words.