blackout

There was a blackout Tuesday night covering the eastern half of the city, where I had a class that night. It took me some time to figure out what was going on. I was caught in the usual rush hour madness but had left early (for a change) so instead of being fussed about the inch-by-agonizing-inch progression of traffic, I was caught up in hazy daydreams.

At some point, it struck me that things seemed really...nice outside. Quiet and calm and kind. Completely unlike Toronto at any time let alone during the evening rush hour, and I started to take notice. It was dark. Very, very dark. No streetlights, no store signs, no lights on in the skyscrapers towering above. It was hushed. So quiet.

Drivers shared lanes and took turns at intersections in a most generous way, pedestrians walked with flashlights - some deliberately creating light shows on the building walls around us - and when I arrived at the yoga studio for my ayurveda class I was teased inside by the sight of dozens of candles glowing in the windows. I loved it.

It was cold so class was held in the teacher's apartment downstairs, wrapped in blankets, curled up in front of the fire, and sipping apple cider while M. spun his words of beauty as he does every week and the cat, Krishna, took turns warming the laps of the students scattered about his apartment.

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous evening. Can we have a blackout every night please? Other countries get to do it...