Excerpt: Simple Gifts

. When her hand touched the panel of light switches she flicked one up, the hum and moan of the light bulb warming up, slowly, slowly getting brighter. She felt like this slow warm up of light to full intensity suited her mood, even though she would have felt annoyed at the delay in having the brightness of incandescent light at a single touch. She lived in a world of instant conveniences and the idea of waiting for the light to flicker to life slowly, to warm the space, expanding until the corners of the room lit up seemed a waste of time. But now, in the dimness of the room she appreciated this period of adjustment, this metaphorical deep breath before the show got on the road. Perhaps it was a truer reflection of what humanity should be like. Instead of life in the fast lane, wasn’t there something to be said for slow and steady wins the race and good things come to those who wait? Perhaps taking some time to brighten up was more reflective of humanity anyway.