light revealing experience

            When I was a little girl, my favorite song was “This Little Light of Mine”, I wouldn’t dare go to bed without my night-light, and I lived in the Nevada desert-Vegas, to be exact. Needless to say, light has always been important to me.  It affects my mood, my wardrobe choices, and even my vision.  That being said, I’ve always thought of light in a more general way; I’ve never really considered it in the different experiences mentioned in the reading by Millet.  Having read the chapter, I don’t think I’ll ever generalize light again.

            My experience of light growing up in The City That Never Sleeps was a unique one. I saw the beautiful play of brilliants in the fountains at the Bellagio, the light from the Luxor was always visible, even in space, and there were always streetlights on every street, no matter how small. Gas stations never closed and everywhere you went, there were neon lights. Everywhere. You can imagine that I’ve had my fair share of neon lights.  The Vegas culture often called for an escape to the nearby Rocky Mountains. Here, the light was much more pleasing.  Hiking in the early morning before the desert sun became, well, the desert sun, was ideal. Though being in the West meant that sunrises weren’t the most captivating, our sunsets proved to be breathtaking.

After moving from Nevada to North Carolina, I found myself to be discontented more often. Aside from the move itself, I realized that it was the lack of sun (well, constant sun) that was affecting my mood. I had to adjust to the fact that there were actual seasons out here! That meant that it rained more. Much more. The seasons have proven to be much more beautiful here. The sun seems to set earlier and earlier as the seasons shift towards fall and into winter as well. I know this happens on the west coast as well but it appears to be more drastic here. Eight years later, I’ve learned to adapt. There’s nothing like the changing leaves of fall being illuminated by the setting sun, I’ve come to find out. Fall is definitely my favorite season. No matter the season, however, I’m much happier in the sun. The more light, the better. The same can be said for task lighting in my opinion. A dimly lit room inspires little work. I’ve got to have a bright room to wake me up, get me going, and most importantly help me see what I’m doing. I find the shadows created by natural light through my blinds distracting so when it’s task light that I need, it’s task light that I use. This way, I can illuminate all of what I’m working on and can manipulate the light as needed.

            Light can lift a mood, better one’s vision, and determine the course of events for the day. It varies in different places across the country and even more drastically across the globe. No matter where, when, or what type, light is important and should always be taken into account.