Darkness and light

Last night there was a big power outage in my neighborhood. Fortunately I had lots of candles, and so lit some and pondered how it would be to live without electricity. It would be very hard. I peeked out my windows and saw flickerings in other windows as well.

What surprised me about the pitch blackness was that it brought out all sorts of people; young people laughing, cars revving, shouts ringing throughout my neighborhood. As I lay in bed reading by candlelight, I suddenly felt slightly nervous. My home, and I, transformed from quiet old-fashioned darkness into a safe haven from the inky black, unknown night. I said my evening prayers and went to sleep, feeling somewhat on edge but also protected. I woke up some hours later, lights blazing, power had been restored. I slept well the rest of the night.

What does darkness bring forth in you? Just as there are many colors of darkness, so too I believe there are many responses. I was fearful, and frightened for all the people who never have the safety I do. I also understood, after a while, the energetic voices calling through the night. What is your most recent experience of darkness?