Daylight on a Dark Night

It was a loud thunder that woke me up from deep slumber at midnight one day. I opened my eyes with great difficulty, looked around and tried to get my bearings right. While I was still half asleep, there was another thunder followed by lightning and I was wide awake. I looked around the bedroom and found it pitch dark and closed my eyes again. A gentle touch from the window curtains which were taking a flight due to the heavy wind blowing from outside prevented me from going back to sleep. I got up from the bed, located the bed light and switched it on. It didn’t respond and I realized that there is power failure. While still sitting on the bed I tried to focus my eyes on the surroundings and could not see anything. A loud sound from the backyard made me jump up and I walked towards the door intuitively. To go to the backyard, I have to go through the living room, dining hall and kitchen which are crowded with sofas, chairs and tables and I started picturising the layout mentally.

The inner Compass. Under the normal circumstances, it would not have been possible to negotiate these obstacles in pitch darkness. However, I made my way through them as if I was wearing night binoculars. I was amazed that I did neither bump into any furniture nor hit against a wall. I walked as one who knows the layout as one’s back of the hand and felt very comfortable in reaching the door to the backyard.

I went into the backyard and found that a branch of the mango tree broke and fell to the ground which was the cause of the sound. Since there was nothing I could do in the thunder and storm, I made my way to the portico and sat in a chair. My eyes closed slowly and I turned into my inner self.

I found myself asking “How could you walk through all the above obstacles in pitch darkness? What helped you walk from bedroom to backyard as if you had a light in your hands?”

“It was easy” I replied. “I knew the terrain well. It is registered in my mind and I do not require any light to take me through a place which I know well; even in the face of darkness and obstacles” 

Wisdom Dawns upon me. “Well said” my inner self appreciated and went on “let us apply this to our lives; while going through life, many of us grope in the darkness in broad daylight and some of us walk through darkness as if it was daylight. Those who have made distinct plans in their lives and traversed the path mentally are very confident of embarking upon the journey at any time of the day or night; hail or storm; obstacles or hurdles. For those who fail to tap into their potential grope in daylight as well; the path is a blur for them; every small obstacle comes in their way and the destination and destiny elude them”.

“How do you rate me?” I asked and pat came the reply “Daylight on a Dark Night” leaving me to decipher the meaning and relationship.