Nighttime. This week’s photo challenge theme.
An old cliché, as different as night and day, used to describe opposites comes to my mind. But I think night can be as different as…well… night.
In my book, two diverse kind of nights exist. You may experience nights full of blissful rest when you fall asleep quickly and don’t awaken until morning light. But then there are those other nights – those that occur when sleep is disturbed or is nonexistent caused by a crying baby or anxious thoughts or too much caffeine or simply insomnia.
Sometimes we eagerly embrace the night and sometimes we wearily dread it.
Nighttime is two-faced not just when it comes to our rest but also where we choose to spend the dark hours of our lives. Its difference seems most pronounced between city and country. Nights spent in the city are never completely dark (unless there’s a blackout) as brightly lit signs and traffic lights produce a glow no matter what time of night it may be. Those kind of nights can prove invigorating and no doubt whoever penned that old disco song with the lyrics, I love the nightlife, was writing about nighttime in the city.
Country nights provide quite a contrast. When evening draws nigh and the sun finally sinks beyond view, darkness – real darkness – descends. On a clear, cloudless evening, you gaze upwards and are greeted by a sky dotted with more shining stars than you can count. The only gleaming glow around may come just from a silvery moon casting its luminescence on earth or a brightly burning bonfire blazing in the back yard.
Regardless of whether your preference is illuminated by the incandescent city night or enveloped in the darkness of a country nighttime, you can always find something to remember, a nocturnal memory to add to the days of your lifetime.
“What I take from my nights, I add to my days.” ~ Leon de Rotrou
©2014 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com
I am so impressed with your night shots! These two are special. It gets so dark here in the country that visiting friends get nervous and leave inside lights on all night.
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I appreciate your compliment! I know what you mean about country dark being a little unnerving for guests. That’s why we have a dusk-to-dawn light on our garage so the driveway is illuminated because you do never know when you might run into a wayward skunk or who knows what else. 😉 And for overnight guests, I turn on the nightlights inside.
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Great post! We’re certainly not in the city, but we have a few lights here and there….and you’re so right about some nights being restful and some being restless!
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Those restless nights do me in! I’m thankful they’re not as plentiful as they used to be. We have a few lights here too from neighbors’ homes but not enough light that it blocks the sky views of stars. And I really enjoy that.
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A very thoughtful post and loved the pics! Kind of hit home for me, as we spent another evening at the observatory on Saturday night gazing at a plethora of bright stars. 🙂
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An evening gazing at stars sounds heavenly to me! 🙂
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Loved your thoughts for today – and the pictures are super – such perfect contrasts of the same thing. Night-time is almost always a friend to me, soft, quiet, such perfect stillness and peace. The daytime clanging is put away and the Father draws close and we chat or pray or recount the day’s occupations. Wonderful post! 🙂
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Just goes to show you, you never know when you write something how it will resonate with another soul. I struggled writing this one, felt like it didn’t have that much to say and that it was a weak post, and then you bless me with your comment! Thank you for the encouragement, my dear friend. 🙂
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