Light is the eternal source of life and now the bridge between being digitally connected. Light (electricity) is and has become an integral part of our lives, so much so that everything now is dependent on it…almost everything. Out of nowhere, suddenly the lights went off … complete darkness. Could not see anyone or anything around. The beauty of darkness is how in the absence of light you can hear everything crystal clear, even the sound of your own breathing. There is this absolute calmness and beauty to this darkness; it’s completely peaceful, no glory and no glow about itself.

The instant fear of darkness is all about losing the bearing of where you are and where you are going. Many times I have wandered in broad daylight, in a state like that of losing sense of direction… so darkness made not so much of a difference. If darkness brings in this peace and rest to the mind and body, why this hunger and thirst for light?

During my childhood days with summers setting in, losing electricity was a weekly event called Load Shedding. Living near an industrial belt, the power requirements of the industries were always a high priority. Also, Fridays used to be a scheduled maintenance day for the electricity department with no power for at least 3-4 hours. This was the time for all friends to catch up in the dark… candles all around the building floors, giving a feeling of a festival. The water tank below our building was the meeting spot for everyone to meet. Jokes and stories for the day used to be shared, and the fun used to bring light in that darkness.

Times have changed now. Electricity out has got very little impact as we all have power inverters or generators creating a bridge for the loss from the source but breaking the bridge of connecting us in person. The darkness then brought more people together than what light does now.

As I moved near the fuse panel, I said “show me the light” to turn on the tripped fuse. Light shone brightly across the house… somewhere in the darkness, I went back to the light of those days… realizing that the darkness today has lost its light. Show me that Light.