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Powerless in the nights




Powerless in the nights

I welcome power cuts. Especially when they come (in short spells) in the night. Even the pre-declared power cuts in which the element of surprise is denied to the ones from whom the power is cut off. But the better power cut is the one which come unannounced and has an element of novelty to it.  

Power cuts force the leisure on me. When the darkness sets in all of a sudden, one is left with not many options. Especially when there is no amount of preparedness which readies the candles and match boxes. The early moments which are escorted by the power cut invited darkness and the resultant lethargy are delightful. I am not prompted by the fall of the darkness to rush for backups. I am unlike the athlete on the launch pad. The sudden demise of light around leaves you uncertain and tardy. I just lounge where I am, hoping for the power to be back soon. It is a thought which makes it sweetly unnecessary to think of getting up or hunting for a lamp. Though the head which is at work hopes for the return of the power, the mind which is couched in possibilities of not having to do anything contradicts. The mind is planning the darkness ahead. Am I not happy that the power is not back, even while I am worried about the time being lost and the work getting delayed? Wasn’t I looking for a chance to stretch and look up for nothing?

The pleasure of break from the work made possible by the power cut is ambiguously welcomed, but more unambiguously enjoyed. The put up feet, the laid back head, the pushed away materials, these all tell the same story. The sweetness of the moments derived from the fact I don’t have to answer for the moments which are lost. It is not me who brought the darkness in. It is not me who made the power go for sure. Am I answerable for me not being at work? The escape from blame and the non-necessity of having to account for the passivity has a certain charm with me. The not-having-anything-to-do, the-not- having-anything- to-think kind of attitude. This is the sweetest part of the moment. One is cut of. You can have dark and eat it too! 

Now, the otherwise neglected night sky is taken seriously. The starry or otherwise firmament becomes object of slack attention. Mind can afford silly searches now. Is it not till the power breaks back in? The otherwise nonexistent shadows of the dark take a life of their own. Life travels backward and the simplicity and genuineness of the life around wake up. The marvelous charm of emptiness too is up for grabs. The distant warbles of the festive music, the probable fireworks from temple festivals (power cut season synchronize roughly with the festival season for us), the audible faraway snatches of voice made possible by the power-cut quietness.  

Is this passivity a sign of the absence of control the situation has put us into? Is the fact that I can’t bring the power back that has put me in this feel? But don’t I have the freedom to rearrange my work. Work with a candle? Rework the work schedule? Switch on the emergency lamp and relocate myself? Is it not wonderful to subject oneself to the exigencies of the unmanageable once in a while?

The grudgingly welcomed return of power underscores the delight of the world one is bidding goodbye to. 

Comments

  1. Aswathi24 January 2013 at 08:48

    Nowadays technology destroys the labyrinth of darkness. Till the last month, we would leave all the works half done during power failure. But the arrival of a new companion, inverter has inverted everything. It had been a space for everyone in our home to get together and chat. I think the communication between parents and children and between husband and wife would surely nullify the misunderstandings among them if any( because misunderstanding arise out of love), and more than that it is necessary for making the children confident. Such conversations will guide them as to which way to seek and move on when facing a difficult situation. It not only strengthens the familial bond, but also enlightens us with new knowledge that no university can exchange. It would be a possible way of utilising power failure effectively. To meditate and reflect one something nice one can utilise the journey hours.
    Aswathi

    ReplyDelete

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