Limelight and Shadows

Modern culture is mainly oriented towards the limelight. The goal of many is to be known, noticed, celebrated and lauded as achievers. They want to be recognised as wise and powerful. Somehow, they thrive on being in the limelight before an audience. The bigger the crowd, the better! Others fail the test to be considered worthy. Arguably, the limelight tempts those who seek to claim a false self. Also, some embrace the illusion of being powerful and essential in ways that are only attributed to Gods. Some of the Author's stories suggest how the limelight was accidental rather than deliberately experienced. The reader can decide whether he was seeking it or not; thrust into it; avoiding it; sharing it; shunning it; stepping into it or stealing it. To stay in the shadow sometimes is a deliberate decision. It has everything to do with being free. We are talking about a power different from the one conveyed by the limelight. Then, there are people in the shadows, who did not choose this kind of life. They experience individual powerlessness and crave to be recognised by others. Shadowed people live in conditions they cannot escape. Many people prefer to read stories about celebrities, but sometimes taking a look at the dark side of life is highly revealing.