The Shadow Between

Here's an In-Class Assignment I did for my Distilled Prose class. I got a final mark of 85%.

The Shadow Between

By Robert Blezard

I have often asked myself what I believe. I rarely come up with a firm answer, which has a lot to do with the question. I guess the easiest way for me to look at it is to visualize myself at a crossroads with multiple directions.

Darkness and light are the themes of those multiple paths. I often find myself traveling the darkest roads. These are the paths dominated by the mistakes of my past. Pain, hate, and sorrow are my guides while lost in the dark, and I often embrace them with a morbid glee.

I have been known to choose the paths of light, which are harder for me to traverse. Dominated by love, hope, and family & friends, the brightly lit paths lead to moments of joy and discovery. When I'm gaming with friends or writing something new, I am often on the path of bright faith.

However, neither the dark ways nor the shining paths are truly my friends. Isolation and depression are usually the result of traversing the darkened roads too much. Overexposure to the glittering paths often blinds my senses and overwhelms my soul with too much life.

Therefore, it isn't surprising that I am still looking for that elusive path that will combine the best of both the pitch black walkways of my troubled mind with the light of faith and life. I've always believed in a balance of the two, which is nearly impossible to find in this world.

I've stood at the crossroads for so long that I've come to consider it my home. I've become the Dweller at the Crossroads watching as others chose a path. Mine still alludes me, but I must make a choice soon. Perhaps the perfect path will open up to me, which will allow me to walk the edges of darkness and light. When that day comes, I will walk the road once again. Until then, I will remain at the crossroads, content to dwell in the shadow between.