Utqiagvik (oot—Kay-agh—vic) is the northernmost town in the USA. Formerly Barrow, Alaska it has some traits which make it a metaphor for the human struggle on Earth I observe (neighbors) and experience. Let me elaborate.

From the end of summer until next, the residents of this Arctic Ocean town will soon experience 65 straight days of total darkness (no daylight). Come mid-Spring they’ll experience 82 days of zero darkness (24/7 daylight). This leaves about 218 days of blended dark/light.

In some respects doesn’t this mimic most of our lives in Developed Countries (World Bank lists 34 countries as High-Income). I feel unequipped to publish anything about life in Undeveloped Countries. Back to mimic, life throws us dark patches and bright happy patches, with day-in day-out life falling in-between. But that’s the minor metaphor.

The major metaphor I’d propose is that even when things are darkest there’s light ahead if we keep pressing on. For some, myself included, light is shining each and every day owing to religious conviction (Full Disclosure: Count me as a Christian who sings You Are The Light Of The World). Notwithstanding this, the human condition is a roller-coaster of good times and bad, or at the very least not-so-good.

I think today of Utqiagvik, of the total darkness that’ll kick-in November 18th, but more so the emergence from this state on January 24th when light appears. If the folks of this town can get through this literal darkness, then metaphorically speaking the darkness being felt today by millions or billions of individuals will surely pass in due time.