Welcome to Dennis once again – he’s giving us more of his beautiful prose to read!! I’m very excited to have him on this platform, please follow him on Twitter @bydennissheehan and @dennissheehan.
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There is something very comforting in experiencing a power outage. Earlier this evening the storm raged, wind, rain and hail. It came down with a ferocity as if God was angry and wanted to wash away our inadequacies. Before the final downpour the power went off. Disquieting at first, it is now a peaceful and comforting situation.
Engulfed in the quiet of the evening in the dark, there is peace. I have no background noise, no distractions and no light. I am alone with only the illusions presented to me by the slightly moving branches of trees outside which are backlit only by the moon. The slight movement of the branches dissects the moonlight in a beautiful harmonic dance, of which I am normally unaware because of my modern distractions.
If the television was never invented, would it be missed? Would man have more time to think and imagine? Would we spend more time enjoying each other instead of the fabricated personalities of TV stars? Would we devote more time to helping others or at least interacting with our friends and neighbors instead of mindlessly watching someone else’s lives unfold on our flat screens? It is interesting to think that only when these distractions are taken away do we question ourselves and our validity.
In the dark quiet of a blackout, I am asking myself these questions. I am becoming frightened with the fact I am not sure I want an answer. I have become comfortable, fully immersed in the comforts of modern day consumerism. Is this why people are afraid of the dark? Do we not want to experience the realization of our empty stagnant lives? Are we afraid of the answers we get when we actually think? Could I have done more, lived more or loved more?
The peace and solace I experienced earlier has left me alone, I am now consumed with the reality of my disheveled life. I am starting to feel claustrophobic, I am experiencing a tightness in my chest, I feel alone.
Please God, turn the TV back on, I can’t stand it anymore……..
In the light of day things look better, my TV is back on, the sun is shinning and I have an overwhelming feeling of warmth and happiness. I ask only one thing out of life, please don’t leave me alone in the dark again.
The Manicheans 