LET THERE BE DARKNESS

 

Ah, Eastern Standard Time is only days away! If you know me at all, you know how much I hate Daylight Savings Time! Here in Florida we get way too much heat and sunshine as it is!

Eastern Standard Time means cooler temperatures and the holidays (best time of the year) will soon be arriving along with the early darkness!

I recall that 100 acre estate my family rented when I was a child. One of the many things I miss about those days is that it was allowed to be dark outside. Here, where I currently live, the homes are all lit up like road houses.

I loved and miss that feeling of sitting outside in darkness lit up only by stars and fireflies. It felt almost magical! At night the crickets and bullfrogs were so loud they sounded like a stadium speaker. To me, it was white noise and lulled me to sleep. I found it comforting.

People noise is the exact the opposite! Many times I've been awakened by cars after midnight with their music blaring or people walking by outside gabbing loudly. It's annoying and an invasion of my solitude!

But I realize the world has changed dramatically since my childhood. We are all less safe! Thus the reason my father insisted on a house with neighbors close by.

However I felt far safer on the isolated 100 acre property! Fewer people knew we were there. It was way more private! No strange cars ever drove by that house. Yes I know, all it takes is just one of the wrong people to discover your whereabouts!

Here, I have a bright light in the front yard plus a streetlamp that lights up my entire back yard. And my neighbor's homes are so lit-up that I receive plenty of their fallout.

My neighbors on the south side were the worst! When they moved in over a decade ago their blazing side and back lights shined directly into my home which has lots of big picture windows. Back then I had paper thin white blinds that were useless.

I prefer watching TV in the dark and this was intrusive! One even shone directly into my face as I tried to enjoy it. I complained but they ignored me!

For the sake of my sanity I was forced to purchase expensive heavy blinds that block out all light. But they proved to be worth every cent! They're dark gray and match my carpet. When opened during the day they hang like drapes and look lovely. Best money I ever spent!