Candlelight.

light is usually seen as something positive - things like truth. darkness is by and large the opposite - like lies.

i would like to throw in candlelight in the mix - which could be described as in between 'light' and 'dark'.

bearing that in mind, picture this:- you enter a room filled with candles. a soft wind is blowing ever so slightly - just enough to make the flame of the candles dance a graceful, flickering dance and its movements flow upon the walls and a vibrant display of silent shadows fill the room all around you.

what do you see? or perhaps what does it make you feel?

this would depend on your state of mind upon entering the room. if:

a) you enter with positive/happy thoughts like -

• romance (you're sharing a private romantic dinner with a loved one perhaps?) and the candlelight just gives the room a nice ambience.
• you've just moved into your 'own' new apartment which has no electricity yet ... and what you can see in the moving flames is a promise of what the future would be like in your 'own' new place.
• etc ...

OR

b) you enter with negative thoughts like:-

• you're in a haunted mansion and the shadows just freak you out rather than comfort you.
• there's a killer / rapist hiding in the midst and the where there is no light - there your enemy could be residing.
• etc...

so lets forget about option (b) for the purposes of this entry. i would think that by and large, assuming that you are no longer afraid of the dark - entering a room lit by candles is particularly nice. well, i like it. *guess i'm just a dark child.

following that - let us go back to the beginning of this entry where all things 'light' are considered good and all things 'dark' are considered to be bad. candlelight - which casts light on certain areas and provide shadows and darkness for other areas can be described as giving all things a 'grey' shade. things could go 'either way' in grey areas.

sometimes, you enter a room which is fully lit and you go, "Yuck."

then turn all the lights off and light up a few candles and suddenly the room has a whole new feel to it. what i'm getting at is perhaps life should be approached that way. allow me to explain -

as we get along in life, things aren't always just good or bad. so we are told that the best thing to do would be - to be wary of the bad stuff but always look for the good stuff. however, people tend to do it the other way around doncha think? i attribute this typical behaviour to always trying to view things as black or white ie 'the dark' or 'the light'.

what if you just light up a candle and let the light fall where it may and may the shadows let the rest hide in the darkness? perhaps the light of the candle will highlight the beauty(aka the positive) of someone / something whilst the shadows let the ugly(aka the negative) remain hidden. then you can work with what you see. this is how you can start off a relationship with someone or start looking at something on, as they say, 'the right foot'.

then as you get closer - the light of the candle will shine on more and you'll see what is hidden in the shadows eventually - then it becomes a case of whether what you saw at 1st can justify what is hidden or not.

(this could also work the other way round - meaning the light of the candle highlights the bad stuff 1st and you gotta get a little closer to see the good stuff - but this of course just makes the act of 'staying longer' to see the good stuff a little harder lah. BUT you never know, it could be worth the wait.)

OR...

some things will always remain hidden for candlelight can only cast light on 'so much'. and perhaps 'so much' is all you really 'need' to know. leave those switches to the pendaflour lights on the ceiling alone. because "can you really handle the truth?"

think of this famous movie line, "You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know - that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall -- you need me on that wall. We use words like "honor," "code,", "loyalty." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!" - fr "A FEW GOOD MEN" just in case you've been living under a rock or have never watched good movies. :)

because - sometimes maybe there is a valid reason why some things aren't said or told or even brought to light. (although i don't really agree with Col. Nathan R.Jessup's reason above - it does have a standard of cogency that has to be considered...)

another quote not as mind boggingly 'extreme' as the above - lifted from a nick hornby book, "if we told the truth all the time, then we would be unable to maintain relationships with anyone from the real world..." ie some things just don't have to be brought to the 'light' in order to make things 'real' and of 'consequence'.

signing off - the commonjack.