Lighthouses

Lighthouses are depicted as tall, majestic sentinels placed along the coast, often on a rocky outcropping overlooking a particularly dangerous stretch of open water. Sometimes it is a lake, bay, or the ocean. While some are short and squat, others are tall and regal. They shine their lights out over the water as a warning or guidance to watercraft sailing by. They are there to remind ships and boats of the danger-whether it is rocks or shallow water.

However, to me, lighthouses have a different significance. They are a metaphor for those too frightened to take the first step. They are the kids sitting on the benches at recess too afraid to get on the swings, let alone jump off the swings in mid-arc. They don't climb the ladder on the sliding board. They are afraid of losing control, therefore, they deny themselves the thrill of the moment of abandon; that moment at the top of the slide when gravity takes over and you slip down the shiny surface to land safely on your feet.

Lighthouse people find a safe rock to sit on and they stay there. Eventually, their bodies and spirits harden while their feet grow down deep into the rocks; immovable. They see the small boats out on the waves, and never think of the freedom of sailing (I once owned a sailboat, but that is another post). Seeing the waves, they are unable to cry out "Danger." A light is their warning, but sometimes the boats ignore the light, or they are tossed onto the rocks by the waves. Some are steered by knowledgeable watermen and women, able to avoid the danger, though they sail close by.

The lighthouse does not think of the watercraft that navigate the vast waters of the earth successfully. They only see the danger before them. They never notice the beauty of the sunrise or sunset, the majesty and power of the seas, the gulls flying low, or the dolphins jumping for the joy of their existence. They only see the dangers. They are afraid.

I would rather be the small sailboat, aware of the dangers but following the wind, current, and my heart. I choice faith in the unknown and hope that I will survive the storms that await me.

Tell me what you think.