Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Climbing Out of the Cave

I've noticed something during the times when I've gone caving: once you've been underground for a while and your eyes get accustomed to the darkness, it takes some time for your eyes to adjust to the light. The longer you've been in the cave, the more stark even a faint whisper of light appears. You see a glow illuminate the rocks, the walls, the ceiling of the cave. It looks so bright, but it's not. It's just a hint of light climbing into the cave, a promise of things to come. It only seems so bright because you're so used to the darkness.

Over the last few months I've been crawling out of a cave. In my book Sailing Between the Stars I wrote about my bouts with depression and, apparently just to prove I wasn't making it up, I started getting swallowed by the darkness right after the book came out.

So if you've been waiting to hear from me, forgive me. I've been moving back into the light and the eyes of my hopes, my dreams, my writing are only now starting to adjust.

Over the next three months I'll be traveling across the US and aboard speaking and teaching. I look forward to sharing some of the insights and struggles and discoveries I have as I explore the world beyond the cave. The ground is steep here, but the light is getting better with every step I take.

1 comment:

Christy Rae said...

Steven,
I met you 2 years ago at the Lillenas Drama Conference. I have most of your books and my kids have memorized Little Red Riding Snack. I am in the "cave" right now. I call it the fog. A deep dark for that envelopes and chokes. Maybe it happens to creative people after big productions...I'm not sure. But it truly helps to know that someone else understands and has been through this. It encourages me that there can be an end.
Looking for the light...
Christy