Saturday, July 2, 2016

Darkness, schmarkness

Back in October I posted about the lighting in the Rolling Steel Tent. I've realized since then that I don't use the lights very much.

First of all, I have things sufficiently organized, and I'm good enough about putting things back in their places, that I can usually find most of my stuff in the dark. I can do a lot of things by touch. When I need light, I turn one on long enough to do whatever it is I need the light for, then I turn it off.

I've also discovered there is often enough ambient light coming through the windows. Distant lights, someone's fire, moonlight, etc.

But my main source of don't-turn-on-the-lights light comes from small LED indicators on my charge controller and battery monitor. That's really quite a bit of light when one's irises are fully dilated.

Oh look, I can see the toilet paper and hand sanitizer

Consider that artificial light is no simple thing for a lot of people in the world, and that it was a rarity for most of human history. But as with most modern conveniences, we've come to consider nighttime light as a necessity. It's getting dark, turn on the lights. We even turn on lights in the daytime.

Maybe it's a remnant of the primitive fear of things that go bump, or that growl, in the night. Light claims our space, establishes a perimeter, banishes the beasties. Yes, light extends the day, but it also extends us. Our world becomes much smaller when wrapped in darkness. It's just me, and the things I can touch.

We tend to think not having enough light is bad for our eyes. But maybe not having enough darkness is what's really bad—for our eyes and for our minds. Maybe we become less of a person when we can't function in the dark. Or maybe I just spend too much time in the dark, thinking weird things.

9 comments:

  1. Surely loved your article !! People have a thing - or two - about lightning. I myself like to have a large 'workable light ' in each room- just in case that i need it- however, i get by with my nightlightS 99.9 % of the time. strong lights bother my eyes I always joke that I must have cats genes in me...I see better in the dark !

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  2. AL, are those file cabinets you have on the right hand side across from your bed ?

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    1. That's one of the types of cabinets upfitters install in commercial vans. There were two of them in the van when I bought it. I sold the other.

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  3. Good point about how not having enough darkness affects our eyes and mind. The fact that 80% of N. Americans can no longer witness the Milky Way due to light pollution is a real shame. Besides, as long as you can find the t.p., that's really all that matters.

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    1. Truly, things may be shitty when you're unable to find the T.P. !! LOL.

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  4. Research shows we get better quality sleep when we don't even have those monitor lights. Researchers must not have to make middle of the night trips to the facilities.

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  5. Night lights Ward off the boogie man and keep him under the bed where he lives.

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  6. Where can a person review and buy a bed similar to your bed of slumber, your comfy thoughts please.?

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    1. The mattress is a foam twin XL I got at Mattress Firm. There's a 4" memory foam topper I got online somewhere. The pillows are also memory foam. I had them from the bed in my former house. The frame is a steel tube thing I also got online.

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