the beautiful unseen
the future is opaque
With Midwinter came the fog. On Christmas Day, we walked to the tower, a vantage point with views across to the Welsh hills, but we could barely even see beyond the barbed wire fence that bordered the field. A dense silver cloud lingered for days over the valley, making a secret of everything. To me, it was a sign, a confirmation, a blessing of sorts; from submitting the manuscript of Chasing Fog in January to reading a wonderful review of my book in the Times Literary Supplement in December, 2024 was my year of fog.
I have lost myself — more than once — in the fog but I have also found imperceptible things, including a new sense of self. When my vision is obscured and the world contracts to the next step ahead, I am forced to exist in the moment — surrendering to uncertainty and finding unexpected clarity of focus. Over and beyond a long year I chased fog, but what I really sought was the flicker of the unknown. I learned to meet strangeness with gladness, I began to not fear the hidden path.
Now, pale January light reaches through the window and across the ceiling — all cloudiness has faded away and the sky is clear. We are poised on the threshold of a new year.
The future, like the fog, is opaque but I see hopeful beauty in its mystery. Shall we take a breath and step together over the edge into the beautiful unseen?
Wow, what an enjoyable read.... I really love exploring the idea of losing oneself, only to later rediscover a new version of who you are. It's so frightening to surrender to uncertainty, but doesn't it also spark a sense of thrill and excitement for the adventures that lie ahead? :)
I love the sentence 'The future, like the fog, is opaque but I see hopeful beauty in its mystery.' Even if there's fog, usually at least a little bit of light can be seen... and the moment when the sun starts to find its way through the fog is the most beautiful. Like with the future, sometimes we suddenly see the light and everything become clearer.