By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
Living outside of Baguio, even with all its perks, always expect to be one of the last households to get electricity should the routine blackouts come around. The recent darkness managed to creep all the way to our doorstep and enveloped our neighborhood, seemingly unwilling to release its grip and let us charge our phones once more. Thankfully, a few days waiting was all it took for us to live in a house with lights once more.
Unfortunately, there were times in the past when an entire week would go by without any sort of spark, just the setting of a horror movie inside our house.
The brief absence of lights recently was nothing compared to what the typhoons of the past had done. Though it doesn’t get easier having to look at the ceiling for any sort of entertainment.
The lack of constant entertainment, though, is a good hand to push us towards self-reflection.
There is little to no time we allot to ourselves for thinking and reflecting on a deep level. Our world is one where everything moves fast and everyone wants to make it first. Action often comes first before pondering. On some occasions, it is good to move first and not let needless hesitation hold us back. Our so-called “instinct” makes it too easy to choose the easy, instant gut feeling over the rational thoughts that form in due time.
The blackouts, while very inconvenient, especially to students and employees, do have some things worthwhile to offer. Apart from the much needed rest we would get from our phone screens, we’d have no choice but to sleep till the lights are back or think back on our lives in a dark silent room. Sit still for once and not think about what to do next. Appreciate the sounds of our breath that tells us we are still alive.
If we stopped running for once, it becomes all too clear, the past mistakes we’ve been running from. We can see them when we stop and start to roam our own heads. Think and think, go back to the past weeks, months, and years and suddenly all our secrets come out. All our shame and regrets are displayed.
Self reflection can be tough but it can lead us to the answer. We are still creatures that can think, even if social media has all but damaged our heads, we can still think and get our brains moving. The solution can be uncovered but we have to go through all the dirt in our lives.
Blackouts will always be annoying, but life will find a way to get us what we need. Whether that be a blackout to call us out on our absurd screen time, or give us the tranquil state of a dark house that forces us to reflect on ourselves, or forcing candles to be the light for once during dinner and talking to family instead of looking at our phones. Nevertheless, medicine never tastes delicious at first.
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