If you believe the proverb, there are just two kinds of people:
1. Those who would light a candle.
2. The whiners among us who curse the darkness.
Which one are you?
If you beef about potholes, the post office and long waits for a latte, you’re probably a 2.
If you start a sentence, “I know this isn’t a life-or-death issue but . . . ,” chances are you’re a 2 too.
Do you complain about your cleaning lady, your caddy, the gardener? Trust me, you are totally 2.
As for the 1s out there, pat yourselves on the back. You’re in good company. Mother Teresa was a full-fledged 1. So too Nelson Mandela, kindergarten teachers, nurses and any plumber that will come to your house on Christmas Eve.
The Good Samaritan who stops to help you change your tire is so 1. A kind-hearted boss? The commuter who offers a seat to a pregnant woman? They’re 1-derful.
Even the 2-ish spouse who tells his poolside wife, “No, you don’t look fat in that bathing suit” can squeeze into the 1 category-at least in that specific instance.
As this husband example illustrates, most of us are a blend of 1 and 2.
Yes, we curse the darkness (and Com Ed!). But sometimes we can summon our better selves to light a candle.
The object here offers options for both personality types. It was created by designer David Weeks in his Brooklyn studio ($50, kikkerland.com).
For those times when your inner Mahatma Gandhi predominates, there’s the candlestick waiting for you to pull out the matches and do the right thing.
And when you’d rather gripe than light a candle, you can give the candlestick a twist and it becomes a flashlight.
To make the light work, however, you’ll first need to locate three AA batteries. A whole new reason to curse the darkness.
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— Candle industry surveys show that women purchase 96 percent of all candles sold in the U.S.
— An estimated 1 billion pounds of wax are used to make those candles.
Source: candlecomfort.com/historyofcandles; candles.org/elements
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Read senior correspondent Ellen Warren’s shopping adviser column every Thursday in the Tribune’s At Play section and join the conversation at chicagotribune.com/ellen shopellen@tribune.com
