Curfews and the Night’s Magic

For a night owl like me, the curfew was a bit of an adjustment. Although I did get a lot of benefit from not having a choice but to be home before 8 or 10pm – the fact that I got to catch up on a lot of sleep was one of them. Getting a lot more me-time was the bigger of the two. This is great. It is a true blessing in disguise.

 

There are a lot of things I miss about being out at night, however. There’s something so romantic about the moonlight, something so ethereal about the dark sky, something magical about being under the stars and seeing these big balls of fire as glints in the distance.

 

Pre-covid, I would typically have friends over during the weekend for some drinks. We’d stay in the garden, under starlight, moonlight, and the occasional firefly. I loved doing this. We’d close all the lights just so it’s as pitch black as possible and the stars, the moon, and the fireflies’ lights can all be seen in their full majesty.

 

Sometimes, even if I’m not staying in the garden, I just loved being under this darkness because it makes all the other lights look more pronounced and beautiful. I loved the nighttime breeze, the mystery, the certainty that something charming was bound to happen – because this was the time we automatically had good fun, laughter, a good meal, a drink that would make everyone feel a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more vulnerable, a little bit more themselves.

 

This honesty is something I ascribe to the night, probably because over the course of my life, I just witnessed more of it during these particular hours of the day – these hours that would signal its closing. A looser, more lenient, more allowing energy was always felt – and this is where I thrived. This is where most people actually did, if they were just more aware of it. I enjoyed myself and witnessing the same in others, too. The night signals no restrictions, the break from your stringent rules with yourself and the people around you, the time when you’re just supposed to chill out. The best part about it is this change in personality is almost automatic and expected of people – and bubble bursters and killjoys are just not allowed.

 

Though I am thankful for the extra sleep, quiet, and reflection time I get now, I do miss these times. Hopefully, this deprivation can actually help everyone recalibrate into a more chilled out version of themselves, no matter what time of the day it is. I hope we all realize how important it is to give ourselves a break, especially now that there are no more clear lines as to when this can take effect the way it used to – when night would signal that we deserve a break. I hope we get to realize that we deserve a break all day really – to just chill out a bit more and give ourselves more leeway in all the small ways we are just used to being our harshest critics.

 

I still miss the nighttime and the unique appeal it carries with it, along with all the fondest memories that were attached to it. I hope we can all get back to basking in the glory of the stars, the moonlight, and the occasional firefly soon.



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