In this get-up, I don’t seem very roguish, do I? I certainly wouldn’t be very good at sneaking about. I mean, I’m carrying a torch, for crying out loud! All of that being said, make no mistake: I’m a rogue through and through. I’m just not one who lurks in the shadows. I want to be seen. What’s more is that I don’t want you to lose sight of me.

Consider the lighthouse.

It emits light—a message. While in sight, it acts as a navigational aid, permitting safe passage to all who heed its insight. But should a maritime traveler decide to go their own way, the lighthouse does not begrudge them. Should the ship arrive on the rocks, the lighthouse does not gloat. Should a wayfarer ignore the light, the lighthouse simply continues serving those indebted to its cause.

This is what it means to bear a torch; I am a lighthouse in motion. I have principles that act as my guiding light. They are mine. None holds sway over the light I wield. I use it to determine and define right action. It is how I navigate a shared world while remaining a distinct self with distinct pursuits.

No doubt, all of this appears very self-oriented. Selfish, even. But remember, I dress brightly to remain visible. None of this is about me; it’s about you. I am making my intentions plain and visible. So don’t mistake any of this as a thing hidden. I am a lighthouse who has become aware of and now defends the light I emit.

How is that about you? Great question! I venture into places that may make you uneasy. I take stances that may give you pause. You may be reluctant in certain pursuits, and should I go first, I mark the hazards so that you might make your own way.

People will probably disagree with my aims. They may fling stones or attempt to douse my flame. But therein lies the benefit of being one such as I. Approval and permission are not among my aims. Another’s beliefs or stance hold no impact on my pursuits or motivations.

This is where you come in. By being myself with great tenacity, my existence will draw the hostility of others away from those embers who remain unkindled. You can consider my overarching light like the canopy of a tree shielding you from the rain. And even though you might prosper beneath my foliage, know that I’m not providing you with a direction.

My reason, my purpose in all of this, is to mark hazards. To facilitate safe growth. To shield your development. To kindle young flames. And ultimately to protect you from the coercion of another—one who might impress upon you to take a path of *their* choosing, rather than a path that might best serve you and your interests.

I want you to choose your own path. And I want you to become strong enough and bold enough to do so. Ideally, you will burn brighter, develop your own motivations and pursuits, and then turn them into your own torch, one you bear for others. Until you can carry such a torch and illuminate the safe passage for another, you are merely seeking to do so. And that, dear Seeker, is what makes you a Seeker.