Would You Light My Candle?
(I'm taking a break from my usually Shakespearean titles!)
When I walked into the room tonight, I could tell it was going to be one intense class. There was a bowl of candles in the middle of the room. I got really excited. Working with candles not only feeds my pyromania and obsession with fire, but it reminded me of back home. There is a theatre company in Regina (the Globe Theatre) and they did a play called The Glass Menagerie. I didn’t really like this play, but that is not the point. I remember that during one scene, the only light on the stage was a single candle. Oh, I guess I should point out that the Globe uses in the round stages. It was one of the best lit scenes I have ever seen. I remember my drama teacher (who was amazing FYI! (props to Vern)) telling the class how he loves when there are actual lit candles on stage and he would do it in our shows if it wasn’t such a fire hazard for teenagers to handle fire on stage.
Anyway, we lit these candles and walked around with them in the dark. When Raymon opened the curtains to the mirror though, I got freaked out. I HATE mirrors! I did want to leave when he did that, but I didn’t. I liked the way the flame would flicker when I walked. It would almost go out but then it would somehow find the strength to keep giving light.
When we stuck our candles in the ground and walked around and away from them, I felt like I was in an ashram. For those of you reading this and are so uncultured that you don’t know what an ashram is, it is a sacred temple / retreat in Hindu culture. Kind of like a spiritual retreat where monks live. I’ve never been in one, but I imagine it would be like this candle class.
When we were instructed to aim our vibrations at our candles, I was certain that I would blow mine out. I can blow candles out from metres away. I don’t know if this is a talent or not…. Anywho, my candle flame was going in very weird directions. If I was blowing from the left of the candle, the flame would go back. It was very odd. I couldn’t get the flame to move in the way I was blowing. I thought that there was something wrong with me.
But then the real impossible task came. We blew the candles out and were told to use our full open vibration to relight it. What!? How is this even possible? I was sceptical, oh yes, when I am not freaking out, logic is my best friend. I still can’t wrap my head around this concept of relighting a candle using our voices. Even though Raymon told us that he has seen it with his own eyes. I did try, but I got really tired, really fast. I’ve really worn my voice out, even though I always use the excuse of having three months of laryngitis and a month of tonsillitis. My voice just gave up. There was nothing I could do.
Sometimes I felt like collapsing because I was just so drained. I was trying so hard and nothing as happening. I wasn’t seeing the fruit of my labour. But maybe this wasn’t about relighting the physical candle, but rather a relighting of the proverbial candle. Whatever it is in our lives that needs relighting. Maybe it’s a love or a passion. Perhaps it’s the light under your but that gets you to do school work (is there a special match for this candle? Because I think mine is broken…).
But then again, maybe it was about finding that source of energy and using it. Trying to reach your full potential. Self actualization. Putting your entire self into the moment. Because after all, life is about meeting the moment. What you do is up to you. Fearing the moment won’t make it go away. After all, who is really is the strongest: the man who meets his moment or the man who fights it?
(I'm taking a break from my usually Shakespearean titles!)
When I walked into the room tonight, I could tell it was going to be one intense class. There was a bowl of candles in the middle of the room. I got really excited. Working with candles not only feeds my pyromania and obsession with fire, but it reminded me of back home. There is a theatre company in Regina (the Globe Theatre) and they did a play called The Glass Menagerie. I didn’t really like this play, but that is not the point. I remember that during one scene, the only light on the stage was a single candle. Oh, I guess I should point out that the Globe uses in the round stages. It was one of the best lit scenes I have ever seen. I remember my drama teacher (who was amazing FYI! (props to Vern)) telling the class how he loves when there are actual lit candles on stage and he would do it in our shows if it wasn’t such a fire hazard for teenagers to handle fire on stage.
Anyway, we lit these candles and walked around with them in the dark. When Raymon opened the curtains to the mirror though, I got freaked out. I HATE mirrors! I did want to leave when he did that, but I didn’t. I liked the way the flame would flicker when I walked. It would almost go out but then it would somehow find the strength to keep giving light.
When we stuck our candles in the ground and walked around and away from them, I felt like I was in an ashram. For those of you reading this and are so uncultured that you don’t know what an ashram is, it is a sacred temple / retreat in Hindu culture. Kind of like a spiritual retreat where monks live. I’ve never been in one, but I imagine it would be like this candle class.
When we were instructed to aim our vibrations at our candles, I was certain that I would blow mine out. I can blow candles out from metres away. I don’t know if this is a talent or not…. Anywho, my candle flame was going in very weird directions. If I was blowing from the left of the candle, the flame would go back. It was very odd. I couldn’t get the flame to move in the way I was blowing. I thought that there was something wrong with me.
But then the real impossible task came. We blew the candles out and were told to use our full open vibration to relight it. What!? How is this even possible? I was sceptical, oh yes, when I am not freaking out, logic is my best friend. I still can’t wrap my head around this concept of relighting a candle using our voices. Even though Raymon told us that he has seen it with his own eyes. I did try, but I got really tired, really fast. I’ve really worn my voice out, even though I always use the excuse of having three months of laryngitis and a month of tonsillitis. My voice just gave up. There was nothing I could do.
Sometimes I felt like collapsing because I was just so drained. I was trying so hard and nothing as happening. I wasn’t seeing the fruit of my labour. But maybe this wasn’t about relighting the physical candle, but rather a relighting of the proverbial candle. Whatever it is in our lives that needs relighting. Maybe it’s a love or a passion. Perhaps it’s the light under your but that gets you to do school work (is there a special match for this candle? Because I think mine is broken…).
But then again, maybe it was about finding that source of energy and using it. Trying to reach your full potential. Self actualization. Putting your entire self into the moment. Because after all, life is about meeting the moment. What you do is up to you. Fearing the moment won’t make it go away. After all, who is really is the strongest: the man who meets his moment or the man who fights it?
posted by Jennifer at 9:10 PM
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