DARKNESS

Let's think about darkness and conversely, light. 

Think how the lives of the cavemen were controlled by light.  Think what a blessing a bright full moon was to them.  The discovery of fire brought more than warmth, it brought light into the night.  But still, from one cave to the next there was utter darkness. 

Those in medieval times had candles to use...if they were rich.  Perhaps, some had oil lamps but oil was very expensive. I'm sure they kept a fire burning each night until they went to bed.  Lot's of huts were probably burnt down accidentally in the name of light.  But, from one hut to the next there was utter darkness.

About twenty years ago, on a crisp January afternoon, I drove west on US Route 40 out of Flagstaff, Arizona where my wife and I had lunch on our way to Los Angeles.  Somewhere before getting to Kingman, I decided to take State Route 93 north to pick up I-15 in Nevada.

It was dusk when we started that northern leg.  We saw the sun sinking below the mountains in the distance.  It was a strange sight to us.  The mountains stretched as far as we could see.  Darkness had fallen on our side of those mountains but we could tell there was still bright daylight on the other side.  As we drove along, the sun was setting for those on the other side of the mountain.  Darkness was falling there as well.  At last, there was just one spot in that mountain range where the sunlight had not fallen.   For a while, my mind wondered how that could be.   Was there a hole in the mountains on the other side that let the last sunlight through?  No, it was Las Vegas.  The city without clocks...where darkness is conquered.  The little place that sucks up more kilowatts and idiots than anywhere else in the world.  The cavemen wouldn't believe it.
:-)