Paperwork: Sometimes we’re different … as different as night and day

I see the yard light outside suddenly shine on.

The street light will do the same and soon we will tell Alexa to turn on “the lamp” in our living room.

This is one of those daily routines we don’t think about too much. The sun is setting and another day is fading.

It’s interesting how we change as the sun sets. We adjust. Nightfall is something we must deal with and prepare for. Like that yard lamp that shines a light on ... on what? Does the night hold dangers or threats or just a lot of mystery and shadows?

Perhaps that light is more comforting than it is illuminating because I do feel a bit safer having it.

Our dog loves to go outside on his long leash line and make his rounds and nestle in the grass. He does this day and night. But when he’s out at night there’s some nervousness attached. Coyotes maybe? Or perhaps it’s just all that stuff we cannot see.

I’ve been paying more attention to this night and day contrast since I came across an observation by author Amy E. Dean in her book “Night Light.”

“I soon discovered daylight chased away many of my fears because of the hustle-bustle of the day,” she wrote. “There were many things to do, people to see, and – as Robert Frost says – ‘miles to go before I sleep.’ Each new dawn held new promises and new beginnings. But what did the sunset hold? What was there to focus on at night?”

Interesting question that makes me wonder about our connection to the cycle of the sun. Somehow that big ball of fire in the sky gives us hope, brightens our spirits with a new day and opportunities.

Well, that’s not true for everyone all the time, but I’ll underline what Dean said about daylight and how it can chase away fears. At night we might be more cautious but the dawning sun helps us relax. But let’s dig a bit deeper.

Think about how we react to different kinds of light. That’s my cue to toss out another quote. This one is from English author Jeanette Winterson.

“I have noticed that when all the lights are on, people tend to talk about what they are doing – their outer lives,” she said. “Sitting round in candlelight or firelight, people start to talk about how they are feeling – their inner lives. They speak subjectively, they argue less, there are longer pauses.

“To sit alone without any electric light is curiously creative. I have my best ideas at dawn or at nightfall, but not if I switch on the lights – then I start thinking about projects, deadlines, demands, and the shadows and shapes of the house become objects, not suggestions, things that need to done, not a background to thought.”

So true, right? The light bulb versus the flickering flame. It makes a difference. No wonder people love fireplaces in their homes. They are just another version of the campfire.

Yard and street lights attack the dark. A campfire welcomes the night, dances with the shadows and embraces those who lean into it.

The flickering light and heat from a campfire plus a circle of friends adds up to a warm hug. And who doesn’t love a hug when they’re in the dark?

Yep, let’s add campfires and hugs to that long list of things that help us get through the night.

• Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, also was a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet in the 1970s. His PaperWork email is lonnyjcain@gmail.com. Or mail The Times, 110 W. Jefferson St., Ottawa, IL 61350.