Darkness and Light

There are many biblical concepts related to "darkness becoming light," but this concept became quite real just a couple of days ago. Our city, along with others in our grid, became dark around 3:40 p.m. as I was watching tennis on television. At that time, we had no idea that this outage affected a vast area, including parts of southern California, Mexico and Arizona. I went to my current research source, Facebook, and found that folks were posting, all over town, that their lights were out as well.

As my husband and I sat, I asked him "What should we do before it gets dark?" In his ultimate wise elder voice, he said, "Why don't we have dinner?" His calmness is a magnificent turn on!

We realized we had a gas stove, so all I needed was a match since the pilot light is electrical. We warmed our food the old fashioned way, in a big frying pan and had dinner. We then gathered things we didn't even know we had--a battery powered radio, a wind up flashlight, a battery operated flashlight, candles, and matches. I put all of our left-overs in the freezer, gathered bottles of water, and old fashioned hand held fans. I opened all of the windows in the house--pretended I was in Miami with no air conditioner and dressed in that fashion.

We sat downstairs and talked for awhile--I almost forgot what it's like to talk to someone you love without watching television, being on the internet, and reading the paper all at the same time as you talk to him. We then went upstairs listened to the radio in the dark and I was reminded of doing the same thing with my great grand-mother. The radio was her lifeline, and tonight, it became mine. Now I understood why she was so attached to it. You really had to pay attention--you weren't distracted by what anyone looked like or by silly stories which related to nothing.
We sat, talked, listened and had a grand old time.

It reminded me that, indeed, there is light from darkness. This light reminded me of what we really need and don't need. It reminded me that human contact and communication is primary. I love technology, but I was reminded that it, as everything else, has a time and place. I also love the "old fashioned things" which were so meaningful to me in my life. I am happy that I can still see light. My husband always says that what cannot stand up to the light is either a lie or evil. There is so much truth in that. I had a friend who is now is darkness, but believes she is in the light. Hopefully, the switch will be turned on again, but my grid may not be working.

I have another friend who found her light at the casino--she told me that as the lights went off at her job, she took the road "most travelled" when she surveyed the freeways-- the road to the casino which had fewer cars that the road to home. I learned that casinos all have generators. It is amazing where we find light. The important thing, is that we find it and that we are able to distinguish what is darkness and what is light.