Thursday 21 April 2011

Thankful Thursday: Dark v Light

When I was a small child I was afraid of the dark.  I saw things in the dark that other people didn't see.  Now people would just say that I had an over-active imagination.  Those who know me would laugh at such a suggestion because I am one of the least imaginative people I know.  However Mum and Dad were very understanding and I always had a night-light on top of the wardrobe.  As I always needed very little sleep I would watch that light for hours.

Fear of the dark left me as I grew up and now I actually enjoy the dark although I still am not too keen on walking through trees, particularly conifers, at night for some reason.

Twilight, on the other hand, is something I truly love.  I find it incomprehensible when people switch lights on at the first sign of the evening unless, of course, they are actually doing something which requires light.  For me it is a time to savour the last of the day and welcome the coming night.  Mind you I realise that I'm fortunate enough to live in the country and I can see the sky and enjoy the change.

Living on Lewis meant long, very long, winter nights.  So when I arrived home from work (when I lived on my own) the first thing I used to do when I got in was create a pleasant warm and 'cosy' environment.  I used to put the kitchen lights on and then go through to the bedroom, draw the blinds, and put on the bedside light.  Those lights stayed on until I went to bed.  I no longer work but I've not altered and now as soon as the day has fully turned to night I create that light environment until bedtime.

I think one of the things I dislike most is to have to switch lights on and off every time I go from room to room.  Except, for some completely irrational reason, the bathroom.  Mind you I am very rarely stationary for more than 30 minutes.  Oh and, yes, my bulbs are modern energy saving ones.

What on earth possessed me to share this piece of arcane information?  The fact that when I switched the light on in the bedroom last night I thought to myself how lucky I was to have such a pleasant environment and how much I, in fact most of us who do have pleasant environments, take them for granted.  

Since the Christchurch earthquakes I have become even more aware that I must be one of an incredibly small percentage of the world population who has that luxury.


So today I am thankful for my ability to see the light and the dark and to experience the comfort that they enable me and to enjoy.

5 comments:

  1. I have a "night light" made from a bottle that held my favorite local wine (grown and bottled in southern Indiana. In it is a string of clear Christmas lights. (I know from HGTV, that in the UK they're called fairy lights.) The light sits on a lower plant stand and provides soft ambient light and comfort for me.

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  2. Your bedroom looks very nice, and it is a blessing indeed to be able to feel happy with one's home and surroundings.

    Especially in the winter I have a small window lamp on in every room in the evenings. In the winter one or two of them are on timer so they go on and off automatically. (Not the one in the bedroom though.) The ceiling lights are usually only on when I'm "doing" something in that room.

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  3. I am simply impressed that a man cares about all such things, Graham. Mine, the ones that live in my home, wouldn't think twice of the feeling just before dusk....maybe one, might....the one most like his mother in this way. It's wonderful to witness, to read of your thoughts - I appreciate you.

    Oh...and the "seeing things in the dark" of childhood, I can truly understand.

    I think that children are much more aware of the unseen surroundings in life, with the purity of their minds.

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  4. Hard to beat soft lighting to create a warm, inviting haven. Lovely post :). Had to laugh though as we took Poppy's spey stitches out yesterday, and needed some light on them..nso put on the lamp beside the couch. The full dimness of the energy efficient bulb made us both laugh... Completely useless until it warms up..... And a night trip to the loo might as well be in the dark as it only warms up enough to see dimly before you leave!

    Glad you appreciate it... It is hard to know we might not find it the same when we return. Was gutted how trashed it all was after Feb 22.

    Thinking of you preparing to travel again....

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  5. Ps Scrappy Grams, what a neat idea!... Now where are my fairy lights?

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