Lighting the Way

          “Pitch black” in my house doesn’t exist anymore. I can see nearly all aspects of the inside of my house after it’s dark, really dark outside. I can clearly see my completely black cat stealthily traverse my bedroom when it’s 2 a.m., or where the tiny play balls are scattered about the carpet in the living room. Even the outdoor patios are somewhat lighted with the outside lamps on the streets. I’m not sure if this lack of darkness should comfort me or piss me off.

          Have you noticed there are no completely dark rooms late at night when nature’s call (yet again) draws you out of the comfort of your warm and cozy bed? Have you ever noticed all the electronics lighting the way through our night’s life? It used to be that we could easily break our necks by running into a door left ajar or a slipper kicked out of its normal location. Or, without as much light, we could more effectively scare an unsuspecting partner…hehehe.

           Even when the power goes out, there are enough battery operated electronic devices, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, alarm clocks and cell phones to illuminate the entire area below my loft. I only need candles during a power outage because I can’t read by the red glow from the battery-operated digital clock next to my bed.

           There are 25 indicator lights that radiate 24/7 in my home. I’m still not sure if this fact comforts me or if, when I venture into my infrequently called upon environmentalist attitude, I consider this a waste of earth resources.               

           Why are all these tiny indicator lights on and do we really need them?  Sure, they don’t do any harm, and perhaps I’m the only one out there who even thinks about their presence. I wonder how much I’d save in electricity if these lights weren’t on all the time. Perhaps not much. I guess it’s good to know that the smoke detector is operational should a fire occur. How did this increase in brightening occur?

           This "lightening" of our nighttime hours has been gradual. First, I guess, were the phones with their small red indicator lights and, of course, the time displays on the stove. But as I look around in my home, these lights are in the company of a dozen others I’m paying to keep burning. Probably not a big deal, but an illumination that while I’ve grown used to I still wonder where we’ll be led next in the “day timing” of our nighttime.

           How many lights are on all the time in your house and does this bother or comfort you? Perhaps you could, dare I say it, shed a little light on this subject? (groan).