Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Why I prefer the "dark side"

It is really a sad thing - that forever we've as a species considered darkness to be equivalent with evil and/or danger.  I understand where some of the prejudice comes from, those ancient ancestors of ours huddling around a fire, afraid of the carnivores they could not see.  But really....

When we take it to the point where a person with dark skin is automatically considered to be a danger, a threat - evil, so to speak, isn't that just pulling the fabric a bit too taut?  Similar to the restriction against boiling a calf in it's mother's milk being taken to the point of making tasty, tasty cheeseburgers a sin?

Darkness is where we heal, during sleep.  Darkness is cozy.  Darkness is cooler than the harsh, scalding rays of afternoon.  The coolness of darkness can be mitigated by adding another layer of clothing - but you can only take off so much in the heat of the day before you become a "sex offender" in the eyes of the law.

Fetuses gestate in the darkness of the womb.  Gently rocking in a warm, dark place with the comforting beat of the mother's heart... they cry when the light hits their newborn eyes.

In these hot hot hot hot hot summer days, I am always looking forward to sundown, when the temperature plummets and I can curl up with a book and relax - in the comfort of the darkness, away from the noise, and bustle and glare of the light.