Old People Sitting in the Dark

I must admit that I didn’t think about how dark it is without electricity until I saw the movie about Lincoln, staring Daniel Day Lewis. They filmed in natural light, so inside the house or building it was very dim and gloomy. Now, I’m not the type of person who turns out the light when I exit a room in my house. I keep the lights on. I want things warm and cheerful.

Since I came back to live in Raymond, MS, I have noticed that all the old people here live in the dark. Every time I visit someone, it’s like I’m back in the Lincoln movie. The first thing I ask when I visit is can I turn on some lights in here?  I can barely see you. One friend got new furniture and I didn’t even notice it until months later. Another friend has a beautiful home, but I wonder how she keeps it so clean. You gotta have the lights on to clean something, right? Or another friend who puts on her makeup in the dark. How can she do that!  Or another friend whose partner turns off the lights and air conditioning every time she leaves the house. I’m afraid that would be grounds for murder on a blazing hot August day. All I can do is shake my head and wonder why.