slip-sliding away…..

South Africa is once again in a state of ongoing power cuts  – euphemistically referred to as ‘load shedding’. As a follow-up to last year’s Powerless, the electricity-free nights have stirred up more thoughts…

Before the lights come on…

Before the lights come on,
bask in the soft glow of moonlight –
nature’s radiance,
humanity’s source of nocturnal illumination for centuries,
before industrialisation brought us light pollution
and faded the wonder of stars from our nightly vision.

Before the lights come on,
enjoy the darkness,
a reminder that we humans are lost;
unable to see, navigate, or operate,
except by the light God gives.

Before the power comes back,
warm your meals
with fire atop gas stoves;
a reminder of the simple life
your ancestors once lived;
A life more in tune with nature –
disconnected from networks and virtual lives,
yet more connected to each other,
and the reality of the physical world around us.

Before you put the phone on,
enjoy the silence:
a throwback to days
when these personal supercomputers
didn’t dominate our lives;
demanding attention
with every beep, ring, or flashing light;
capturing our thoughts,
fear of missing out gnawing at our consciousness,
until we succumb
opening the floodgates
to requests, complaints, and clouds of negativity,
along with a never-ceasing flow of content;
piling into overburdened minds
that were never designed
to soak in the deluge of information
that plagues our modernised world.

In these moments
before life returns to ‘normal’,
listen to the ticking clock,
reminding you that life is passing by –
second by second,
moment by moment.

And when,
by schedule or good fortune,
your power is returned to you,
remember the power discovered within:

the power of pause;
the power of solitude;
the power to choose

not to simply exist
in the same patterns of mindless consumption
and thoughtless indulgence in the digital,
drowning in the reliance on man-made devices of distraction…

But instead,
to live consciously,
acting with intention,
choosing your own path,
and walking towards your own happiness.

Before the lights come on,
light up your heart and soul,
and decide to live
a life of purpose.