[Originally published in the Monroe News on December 11, 2020]
I’m guessing you know that feeling of walking into a darkened room, completely pitch-black, and fumbling around trying to find your way. You probably move slowly to avoid any painful encounters with furniture or the stubbing of a toe. You’ll put your arms and hands out in front of you to feel for anything that might offer a sense of place or direction. This kind of darkness creates a sense of unknown.
I’ve never minded the dark much myself. In fact I quite enjoy spending time outside in late evenings or even early mornings. While climbing mountains out west we would regularly have 4am starts at trailheads making our way along darkened trails following a single beam of light from a headlamp. Such experiences help you see just how reliant we are on the light. A sense of helplessness is often close at hand when contemplating what would happen if that single light would go out. Needless to say, we always bring extra batteries!
