It is said that “One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”

This is my conundrum. That darkness. That blindness.

The shore is where I know what I know; or, at least what I think I know.

Away from the shore: The squall and the whitecaps, danger and foreboding. The wind howls. The mist swirls.

But, what if the darkness holds the answers to the mysteries that I need the answers to?

It is also said, “The cave that you fear to enter holds the treasures that you seek.” Again with the dark. Why do we have to enter into the dark at all? I spend a great amount of energy each day seeking the light. Turning on light switches, paying the electric bill, going out at noonday to catch the sun.

It occurs to me, however, that maybe the best work is done in the dark:

• Our bodies get restored while sleeping.
• The stars are the brightest in the emptiness of the countryside.
• Babies are built within the dark walls of their mother’s womb.
• The darkroom is where a brown roll of film comes to life.
• The shiny pearl created in a closed shell at the bottom of the ocean.

So, maybe I should stop cursing the darkness and welcome the transformation that it will eventually bring.