Light Blog (at 35,000 feet)

The light in this new plane matches the sound...dull and sleepy. The plane speeds eastward, away from the long-retired sun. It is around 9PM and 95% of the light in the cabin comes from the reading lights of those that are still awake. These lights feature soft yellow bulbs and beam downward on their subjects like spotlights on a Broadway stage. The cone of radiance they emit illuminates the tops of heads and sparkles off reading glasses. My reading light is off, unlike my neighbor's. Looking into my window next to me, a clear reflection is created of her tray-table. The light is yellowy and displays her elderly hands nimbly crocheting a small scarf. As I look past the reflection of her reading light out the window, a sea of sparkling blues, yellows, oranges, whites and some greens group together across the black backdrop forming floating cities and pathways. Barely visible are the veins of moving white lights from the larger highways below. The patches of sparkling lights are constantly marred and then unsheathed again by what can only be the dark shadows of clouds. *Ding* Ladies and gentlemen we've begun our initial descent into the Charlotte area and the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt light.