Our Shadow Selves

The sergeant we called “Preacher” behind his back sat next to me at the bar. I hadn’t even asked a question before he launched into his “sermon.”

“Our shadow selves are not bad. The outlines of our darkness comes from the shape of our true selves that are not yet evident. The shadow is just where we start in trying to find the true self. Where else could be possibly begin?”

I nodded.

“What do I love with right now? My shadow self of course.
Who is it that deceives us for a moment’s pleasure? Our shadow selves in all their glory!”

He slapped me on the back and almost made me spill some beer on my shirt.

“Listen to me young man. You better beware of smooth-talking women. Just realize they’re introducing you to their shadow selves. Still, they’re each fully human and beautiful in their own way. Our obligation is to love their humanness in all its conflicted motives and beauty. When we do that, we help bring all of us closer to who we were meant to be in the natural order of creation.”

I felt dizzy from the beer and started to say he was full of it, but he continued.

“In those fleeting moments of ecstasy, we experience a glimpse of our true selves as we were meant to exist in creation. And that is one hell of a pleasing glimpse!”

With that, sergeant glanced down the bar to a lady puffing her cigarette and freshening up her hair from the wind outside.

Old preacher slid down next to her to buy her a drink. I knew where that would lead.