Darkness

Last Friday the electricity in our neighborhood was out for the afternoon and evening. This is a fairly common occurrence here in Costa Rica. The novelty of lighting candles and finding our way in the dark has worn off. We have a system to back up our sensitive equipment until we can make the rounds to turn everything off. It is a way of life. We have traded the convenience of a super efficient society for one that is just keeping up. Realistically speaking, living in the mountains of Costa Rica does not really require electricity. One home we had in Colorado had electric heat, so not having the juice could be uncomfortable. Here, it is simply an inconvenience.

Each time we are without power for an extended period of time, I imagine what life would be like if we did not have it at all. If we lived back in the day, sort to speak. If sunlight was our only light, we would probably have early nights, especially here in Costa Rica, where year round, the sun always sets at about six o'clock. It requires a lot of imagination, even with a lantern. No computers, no music, no reading, just darkness, year round.

On a clear night, there are stars galore, and when the moon is full, getting around in the dark is a piece of cake. For one night, every once in a while, there are these outrageous white blooms from the orchid cactus. I bet if we let more than our eyes adjust to the darkness, our senses would open wide up and reveal a world that has likely been lost to the sights and sounds we gravitate towards from the life plugged in.