Shadows on the Pavement

Another beautiful November day in Coastal Alabama found me on the Backcountry Trail in Gulf State Park. Riding my bike through beautiful pine and live oak forests, I found myself dodging shadows of dragonflies. The insects almost bounced off my sunglasses or helmet as they darted around me but they were not easy to see. Their shadows, however, were quite obvious.

Beautiful, black outlines of these magnificent creatures flitted and danced all over the pavement as I attempted to avoid them. Finally I realized it wasn’t the shadows I needed to avoid and so I started watching for the less obvious ‘real’ thing. It made me think of how much energy we use trying to avoid our own, inner shadows. And for what purpose?

Our internal shadows cannot harm us and serve only to show us the reflection of the real issues in our lives. When we see shadows within they are simply gateways pointing to something that needs our attention.

Traditional wisdom speaks of dragonflies as teaching us the power of light. According to Ted Andrews, they remind us that we are light and can reflect the light in powerful ways. “Let there be light is the divine prompting to use the creative imagination as a force within your life.” We can allow ourselves to be channels of light and to let it illuminate the shadows within which serve to teach us about ourselves.

As I inhaled the cool, salty air and passed through patterns of sun and shade I pedaled with a sense of freedom. I felt appreciation for such a lovely place in which to pedal and for my lovely insect companions that brought a sense of joy through creating shadows on the pavement.