Why Are We Hiding in the Shadows?
“Awakening is like turning on a light. You can’t make someone see it, but once you do, you can never unsee the truth.”
— Unknown
A Peek Into Plato’s Cave
Imagine this, you’ve been living in a dark cave your entire life, chained in place, only able to see the wall in front of you. Behind you, there’s a fire. And between the fire and your back are people walking by, carrying objects, but you can’t see them. You can only see their shadows on the wall. That’s your whole world. The shadows become your truth.
Then one day, you break free. You stumble out of the cave and into the light. At first, it’s blinding. Confusing. Overwhelming. But slowly, your eyes adjust. You begin to see what the world really looks like—color, form, depth, real people and not just shadows.
And here’s the twist, once you understand the truth, you feel called to go back into the cave. To help others wake up. To say, “Hey… what you’re seeing isn’t the whole story.”
But not everyone wants to hear about it. Because stepping into the light means letting go of what’s familiar.
Plato’s cave is a metaphor for the illusions we live with, the beliefs we don’t question, and the journey toward deeper awareness. It’s about awakening. More importantly, it’s about the courage it takes to go back and hold the light for others.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Sitting in a dark cave, staring at the flickering shadows on the wall, wondering how to get out or if we even can. Maybe it’s a job, a fear, a system, or even a version of yourself you never meant to become. The shadows become familiar. Even comforting.
And then something shifts.
Suddenly, you’re stumbling toward the light, blinking your way into a new way of thinking or feeling. Sometimes we assume things will always stay the same, and we grow complacent. Do you want to know what I think? You can break free. It might not look the way you might expect it to be, but it’s possible.
For me, that realization first came when I read Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. It was a true aha! moment for me. I began to see that I didn’t have to stay in the dark. That I could choose to step toward the light, even if it was uncomfortable at first. Even if I had to find my own way. I've had to do that many times in my life, I went through a horrible divorce, awful custody battle, dealt with cancer, and lost loved ones.
The Library as a Threshold
Because I'm a librarian through and through, it means a lot to me to relate this idea of going from the shadows to the light in relation to the library and the work we do. The library is so much more than a building filled with books. It’s a definitely a space for expansion, a threshold between who we are and who we’re going to be. I'm not the same person that I was when I started working in a library all those years ago. Ultimately, when you work in a library you realize that it’s a place where your perception of reality gets challenged and your creativity can bloom.
In a world that is constantly telling us who we are and who we’re supposed to be, libraries whisper, “What do you want to be?” Libraries push our boundaries and stretch us. We can't be contained in the "cave" because as the years go by we expand and grow. This reminds me of when I first started working in a public library. I'd just finished graduate school and was feeling somewhat lost. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. What was my career path? I wondered, would it magically appear for me? My first few months working in the library I knew this was place and these were my people. From there, I made the decision to go back to school and get my master's in library science.
I've been working in libraries now for twenty years and for me it is more than just a workplace, it's a place of awakening. Through books, conversations, programs, and working closely with vulnerable community members I have been able to help so many people. I have witnessed the good and unfortunately the difficult unfold. I will always cherish those small moments like when I helped an underprivileged teen find other teens to bond and socialize with, or when someone who is unhoused whispers “thank you” because they finally felt seen.
The Shadows Still Linger
Let’s be honest: even in libraries there are shadows. These are the shadows we’re still fighting everyday. Censorship, underrepresentation, misinformation, burnout, and the invisible systems that shape who gets to speak and who gets silenced. We should not fear these shadows, that’s also why we do the work we do and why it matters. Because we’re not just reading books all day long (although, that's what many people think), we are actually holding up the lanterns to light the way through the shadows. We need to keep walking, even when the light is uncomfortable. We must continue to walk through the shadows ourselves.
Searching for the Light, Together
Plato’s cave isn’t just about leaving the shadows, it’s about returning and going back for the others. It's about carrying the light with you, even when you’re tired, even when your voice shakes, even when no one applauds you for it and this happens so much in the library world. I hope you will believe in illumination over illusion. Keep up the work you are doing, you matter, your questions matter, taking care of yourself matters, and your transformation matters.
Maybe that’s why I’m still here. I feel like I've wanted to give up so many times and move on from the library. There's this voice inside of me that says, you're not done yet and this keeps me hanging on.
Stepping Out Beyond the Cave
Awakening doesn’t always feel like a grand moment. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes, it’s just choosing to ask one more question, pick up one more book, or believe in one more possibility. Sometimes, it’s when you feel the most lost and lonely and then suddenly, you find a little piece of yourself and you come back into the light.
We don’t escape the cave once and for all. We do it over and over again. When we choose growth over standing still. When we question what we’ve been told. When we decide to turn and face the light. In the end, the journey out of the cave isn’t about having all the answers, it's about moving forward and embracing the change. It’s about knowing you can keep seeking and maybe, just maybe it's about turning around and offering your hand to someone else who’s still hanging in the shadows.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through the Consciousness Archives. I'll be back next week to offer more thought provoking ideas on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe and of course that includes my favorite place, the library!
Here's to seeing the light,
the Compassionate Librarian
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