Stream of Consciousness: Electricity

i have known since living in africa that being without electricity is incredibly thought provoking. this is something like the effect of driving your car without a radio. it makes you talk. if you cant talk, it makes you think. and in those radio silences I always had such good thoughts, and it makes me wonder if i drown them out all those other times.

friday night the lights went out for four hours and i could hear there was a drum circle somewhere. and we lay be candlelight and i said i want to be the kind of person who just goes out and investigates and joins that drum circle. and terry is very much too shy for that, but eventually i convinced him to at least go to our gate and check it out. we leaned against the gate in the odd brightness of the moon with all the surrounding darkness without the electricity. it turns out the sound was the beginning of a three night funeral party, and it was hosted inside the neighbor's compound. knowing that it didnt seem appropriate to try to join, or we felt too shy at least. still when i returned to laying in the candlelight i felt better for having tried.

it makes me want to host 'lights out' parties where no electricity is allowed.