Seeing through the fog
November, historically, is the month for fog. Perhaps not the real pea-soupers of days gone by – before Clean Air Acts and the like – but nevertheless fog still heavy enough to create a general desire to stay at home if at all possible.
I was discussing this with my friend Tom only the other day, and very soon our conversation had moved on from a literal blanket of fog, to the figurative idea of situations that are ‘foggy’, and difficult to see through.
A week earlier, Tom had invited his work colleague Alan to a meeting. and as Alan wasn’t doing anything else, he agreed to go along. The group was buzzing with activity when they arrived, and they were welcomed by several individuals. Alan sensed immediately the bright faces, and the vibrant atmosphere. He said afterwards that right at the beginning he had felt more-than-a-little awkward, because within himself he felt surrounded by a fog, which cut him off from the fellowship of those around him.
On the way home he said to Tom “That was…. strange. What is it you all have?” “Well” said Tom, “we have all come to a realisation. You could say that we had been reborn. When this happens, the fog just melts away”.
That night, as Alan went bed, he thought how wonderful it would be to see through the fog – the fog that even then hung about him. He would be able to see, and to be seen. He slept, and dreamed about bright faces and a vibrant atmosphere. The next morning, he knew what he needed to do. He went down on his knees….