Living Outside The Lines: “Still Of The Night”

I don’t worry so much about Freddy Krueger or Jason appearing, but the brain sucking corpses from “Night of the Living Dead” do sometimes cause me to stop and look both ways ensuring one isn’t lurking in the shadows, waiting to feed on my gray matter.

By Becky J Miller

Google defines darkness in two ways: the partial or total absence of light, and wickedness or evil. Given these delineations, it is easy to understand why darkness has a nasty reputation; we merge the meanings and frequently hold the darkness responsible when bad things happen.

If a home invasion occurs after sunset, is the darkness to blame? Absolutely not. Darkness is amoral, incapable of either good or nefarious behavior. The person breaking into property belonging to another is responsible for the action, not the darkness itself.

Why are young children afraid of the dark? Their fear is not necessarily because the darkness holds evil, but rather because the darkness hides the light, hindering natural sight. Even as adults, we may fear what we do not know or cannot see.

Fear can be irrational. My family lived in a mobile home from the time I was about three years old until the end of my 2nd grade year. My bedroom was located at the front of the trailer while my parents’ room was at the opposite end. Imagine a scared little girl waking up, crying for her mommy, realizing mommy probably couldn’t hear her, climbing out of bed, walking through the living room, kitchen and down a dark hall, alone, just to be comforted.

It stands to reason that whatever monster I imagined in my pitch-black bedroom could either eat me before I got out of bed, consume me mid-trip, or simply wait for my return to carry out his sinister plot. Nonetheless, somehow, my mother saying, “There’s nothing to fear,” then giving me a hug, was comforting. I made the return trip to my bedroom, still alone, still in the dark, climbed into my bed, closed my green eyes and fell right back to sleep. Go figure.

As an adult the absence of light may still bring with it unreasonable terrors, the kind prompted after watching one too many horror movies as a teenager. I don’t worry so much about Freddy Krueger or Jason appearing, but the brain sucking corpses from “Night of the Living Dead” do sometimes cause me to stop and look both ways ensuring one isn’t lurking in the shadows, waiting to feed on my gray matter.

Most of the time, for my adult self, the darkness is a source of peace. Turning off the lights at day’s end signals it is time for rest. Any source of light such as a bright alarm clock or flashing smoke detector can disrupt my peaceful rest.

I prefer darkness during my early morning workouts. When the weather keeps me inside, I use the elliptical sans overhead light. Even when using the hotel gym, if I arrive first, I keep the lights off. Darkness allows time for quiet reflection without the distractions daylight brings. If the conditions are right, sitting outside staring into the darkness brings a calmness not found anywhere else.

The still of the night does not have to be the thing of which nightmares are made; we choose whether to be at peace or to walk in fear. #wisechoices

Until Next Time,

Becky J Miller ~ Warrior Princess

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.