The other night as I was trying to fall asleep my mind started wandering, settling on thoughts of what life must have been like 100 years ago. Specifically, I pondered the day to day life of somebody living pre-electricity. I concentrated with all the focus I could muster and attempted to imagine what it would have really been like to exist before electrons flowed into our homes on wires, relinquishing their energy for our convenience. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to wrap my mind fully around the reality of not having electricity. I reluctantly gave up as my mind turned to another thought. Imagine you did live in a world that was dark at night. Save from the flickering candle light, there was nothing. Then imagine seeing the full, bright illumination of a light bulb for the very first time. By the simple flip of a switch, or pull of a string, your once dark room was flooded with light. This must have been an amazing sight to behold for the very first time. As I sit here typing on my computer I have to acknowledge that in my lifetime I will probably never have an occasion that will seem as important as what it must have felt to see that first light bulb coming on. This fact somewhat saddens me.
-deric
