Letters to Tom — Shafts of Light

Dear Tom,

People often talk about having a revelation or a shimmering moment. All of a sudden something becomes very clear. It can become a thought, an idea, or if you are Einstein — a theory. Whatever it is, there are no more shadows obscuring one’s view. I, on the other hand, have things come to me a little less clearly. They fall through the air like shafts of the sun piercing through the air of a dense forest. A thought comes to me and everything is different, something happens to the air around me, and then it’s gone. It’s not much and lasts only for a moment before it is gone, but it happens – the glimpse of something dimly seen, dimly heard, the sense of something dimly hidden.

I am of the opinion that one of my goals is to remove the veil that covers these ideas of mine. The veil is made of the everyday dramas of my life — Those vexing problems that steal into my thoughts and grow like possession vine. If not removed they will take me over and choke off any personal growth. I understand Sufis believe that the way of dealing with problems is to attempt to see the qualities underlying a situation in them that is struggling to be born. I can see their logic, but the reality of the moment obscures their presence.

How do we remove the veil that obscures our vision and thought process? In my example how do I clear the forest so the light is not just seen in temporary shafts, but a grand illumination? It is certainly worth my examination and time.

Your friend, Webb

About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.

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