Jenna’s Allegory of the Cave

I was walking through my apartment building the other night right around sunset. I look down the street and my eye is drawn to the windows.

In the reflection was a beautiful kaleidoscope of warm colors lying still against the glass. Hues of pinks and orange stared back from the blurry window pane . Regardless of its clarity it was beautiful. But it wasn’t as breathtaking as the real sunset that shone against my back.

I don’t know why but I immediately was taken back to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In this moment I only knew the sunset was as pretty as the reflection or the shadow on the cave wall. All I had to do was turn around to leave the cave.

It is crazy to think if I hadn’t looked up to see the shadow I would have also missed the opportunity to question it and see the sun.