Candlelight Conversation
When the lights shut off and we’re forced to resort to forgotten elements, mayhem becomes controlled chaos and by the end, all parties come out better than they arrived.
I sat on why that is? What about a power outage brings people closer? After posing the question, the answer quickly became evident. But before I explain my theory, I’m interested in yours:
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You put two people in a room together with no distractions other than each other and only two or more things can happen: conversation or separation, where the common denominator becomes time.
Time is the key thing here, undefined hours create an opportunity to explore what has long gone unsaid. What seems like an inconvenience quickly becomes a blessing. A moment in life where you’re reminded that taking the time to sit in complete stillness and strip yourself of deadlines, duties, and decisions, was all that was ever needed to change preferred courses.
In understanding this as fact so much becomes abundantly clear. You begin to see the people around you, not as something to be neglected but rather experienced. It is only in the dark that we can finally see the light.
The power outage is a reset and that time in candlelight enlightens us. We go in without expectations, open to what life can offer, thus offering space for truth and fate. We begin living vs. controlling and there lies fulfillment.
It makes me wonder, do people connect because of how much time they spend together? Or can key moments forge bonds no amount of time can? Are we more disconnected than ever or are we the closest humanly possible? These questions all seemingly have obvious answers, but in the answer, lies more questions.
I think technology causes as much harm as we let it, so we’re only as disconnected as we allow. It's why lies push people apart, in hiding yourself and your truth, you square away any opportunity at something raw and true. Of course, the more time people spend together, the closer they become, but it’s also about the quality of the time and the connection kindled or severed in between.
Amidst it all, one fact reigns true, time in the dark gives light to the truth. Fond, or painful memories resurface while vulnerability takes refuge. And in that darkness, uninfluenced by outside forces, we get to understand the clear picture of the person(s) that lies before us.
In the end, the lights turn on and our respective cities go back to life as we know it, electrified and interconnected. Nevertheless, these nights remain as reminders that who we are and the moments we make, matter. That time and our foresight to revel in it, matter.
“Every song ends, is that any reason not to enjoy the music” — Ellie Harp
Life is no easy course, but the feeling of truly living makes it worth it. When you stand in truth and see beauty because of it, it opens our eyes to what matters; people, experiences, and love.
I often have my head to the sky, admiring the stars and the clouds, feeling how close yet far it all seems. It’s the same for the future, and with that, remembering faith and the belief in something always gets us through.
