Out Of Darkness

Introduction

I've often wondered how many people live surrounded in the obscurity of invisibility. A life where no one cares about his or her comings and goings. People who do everything alone, very little contact with the outside world, adding nothing to the office chatter at work, and unfortunately when death comes no one shed's a tear. Those people who exist in a hermit like state, viewing the world from their computer screen never venturing out to embrace everything life has to offer.

Several years ago, I read about a man who died at work while sitting at his desk. He lay slumped over his desk for a whole weekend before his body was found. No worried family member called around wondering why he hadn't come home. He had no friends who were concerned because they hadn't seen him in awhile. It just seems unfathomable that a person could leave this world and nobody care.

Most people who reside within the walls of invisibility are usually there by choice. They were placed there as a child never to escape that is if they ever want to. I wore my cloak of invisibility everyday blending into the shadows. I resided there with ease, not worried that life would pass me by. As the youngest of my parents' ten children, it was easy to be invisible.

When you have so many vying for attention it's easy to be lost in the shuffle. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a poor little girl lost in the shadows. I embraced my invisibility, it allowed me to maneuver undetected as I explored my surroundings and observe others as they go about their everyday lives. I have to admit that people watching is one of my favorite hobbies. People don't realize what they give away about themselves through body language.

While I admit to having hermit like tendencies I'm no longer hiding, I've come out of the shadows to embrace the sun. Out Of Darkness is an array of short stories and poems. It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally climbing out of my shell, out of darkness so to speak: sharing the beautiful, ugly, and strange moments in my life. I hope you get as much pleasure reading my adventures as I did from writing them.

Love Blessings,

Stephanie Jean Smith