As I’m down in San Antonio again, the family decided to go all out this year on decorations, horror movies, crazy costumes, and of course, candy. By about 5 ’o clock today, the preparations were done. At 6:45 began the trick or treating, and I figured, in addition to seeing the long-lost gleefulness I had while watching the 4-year-old niece, it would be a great chance to test out some lights.
But I’d left them all at the house except for the Keygos KE-5 in my right pocket. Just at 7, I decided to fire it up. Needless to say, it lit up the whole street. “My eyeballs hurt,” one little girl not with our party said. Honestly, I POed everyone around us—in this neighborhood, there is no light pollution or street lights and so the KE-5’s brightness was perfectly shown off. So, after mom convinced me to turn it down (I could really start to tell people were annoyed by it), I got a chance to observe the light do what it was designed to do OTHER than be a toy that impresses me.
Just goes to show how useful lights can be when used as tools. I adjusted it to the lowest setting and it was still a bit too bright. But I figured 95 to 115 lumens couldn’t be too much. It was plenty! Took me back to how things used to be with our lights. I could see just fine. I chatted with the vice president of the neighborhood watch and his kids, and by an hour later, I had forgotten about the light…nearly. It was still burning and making our way clear. Mom held it while I carried little one back (as my own bum foot started to give out—I was actually lucky to have made it thus far).
And so ended a night with a light. Kinda made me stop and reflect on all the purchases I made and those I am thinking of making, and in a weird way, it gave me peace. Felt like it gave me permission - comfort, if you will - to purchase my toys (which naturally double as tools when I need them to be). In a strangely peaceable way, it was a release: “Go on, go buy what you want! It’s your thing! Nothing wrong with that!” It felt good. My big concern now: “Damn, this foot!”