Light and Fire

A conversation between a candle and lightbulb

The electricity is out in the building.

Candle: Have you ever wondered what our true purpose on earth is?

Bulb: We keep it lit so that the humans can see, plain and simple.

Candle: Well of course I know that but, I feel useless now.

Bulb: Why is that?

Candle: I'm only a temporary solution to the darkness. Once my flame goes out, I'm useless, I am no longer needed in a world that now has you.

Bulb: Me?

Candle: Let's face it, nobody needs me anymore, nobody needs a light that will eventually fade. No one is in need of my company.

Bulb: But your still lit.

Candle: What do you mean?

Bulb: You still have your light while mine has died. I am useless without power, but you are not.

Candle: The power will come on eventually though, and then your light will flicker once more.

Bulb: But what if it doesn't? What if the world lost all it's power and I no longer have a use anymore?

Candle: That would never happen now. The world is not how it use to be, it has evolved and now has no need for a mere flame like mine.

Bulb: You're avoiding the question. What if the world lost all it's power? What would be my purpose then?

Candle: I guess you wouldn't have one anymore.

Bulb: See! I got you there didn't I?

Candle: That question was a hypothetical though. We both know the world will never lose it's power, and one day my light will never ignite again.

Bulb: Okay, that's true but it won't happen for a long time!

Candle: It does not matter; the day will come and I will just be an erstwhile memory. A former invention that's obsolescence was blindingly obvious.

Bulb: I never thought about it like that.

Candle: Even as mere objects we are much like humans. We never think about it like that.

Bulb: Why don't we?

Candle: Because, no one likes difference. When we see things that differ from ourselves we don't like it, so we don't think about it and just push it away.

Bulb: ...

Candle: When we see a crack in our perfect worlds we don't like that, we don't like the fact that something or someone doesn't fit in our perfect fantasy. So, again, we just "don't think about it."

The power turns on and the candle is blown out once again.

Bulb: I'll start thinking about it like that from now on...