Too Many Light Bulbs

I rarely illuminate you when I rant about one thing or another. But today is a guaranteed illuminating rant. I am going to write about light, that kind of illuminating. It's my contention that today we have too much light in the world. The old Edison light bulbs (the old reliable filament incandescent light bulbs, the bulbs with the little wires inside) were enough for me. It was practical, reliable and not too intrusive. Now we have a multitude of light bulbs, more glaring and light politically correct because they are supposed to be good for the environment. Being cheaper to use it means a proliferation of light everywhere. That is not good for our eyes or our sanity.

Look at Tokyo at night. It's a world of garish un necessary light, lights on every building that scream and irritate with excess. I think in Tokyo that lovers probably have florescent light glaring when they make love. The under control of the light they love and hat consumes them. In old movies police officers used to question the bad guys by shining a light in their eyes continuously. The bad guy couldn't take it and always confessed the crime he committed. That should tell us too much light exposes too much of our thoughts.

Who wants light 24 hours a day. Darkness let's us escape the world in a special way. I can't understand why some people like to sleep with the lights on. Science says it's a bad idea that it causes us to sleep less. Maybe they like to look at those goofy spiral light bulbs that are sold as "energy efficient". Whenever I try one of those spiral bulbs that are supposed to last up to 10 times as long as my old faithful Edison bulb, it turns out to be a lie. They die more quickly and the law says you can't toss them in the garbage when they do because of mercury inside.

I hate having to take those bulbs to a recycling center. Light bulbs can make life more difficult in other ways too. Some of those little LED bulbs that are in light fixtures are so difficult to change one needs to have an electrician do it.  Incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, CFLs....it's too much light for me. Cities are lighted 24 hours a day. At night I have to have a blackout shade to keep out the light from outside that will keep me awake.

ll those lights are pain and a distraction. Our minds can't focus because of all the light. I think the old fashioned candlelight may be the best light ever invented. If you want to do deep thinking, turn off all the lights and ignite a candle in the room. But then, nobody today seems to want to think deeply. It might interfere with their cell phone addiction.