A few years ago I heard about the Dark Sucker Theory where, in a nutshell, the idea is that electric light bulbs don't give off light, rather, they suck in the dark. This is of course a load of bollocks, but the idea that something can suck in the dark and leave light in it's place is an interesting concept.
The reverse would also be true, that a Light Sucker would suck in light and leave darkness behind. I took it a step further and thought about how this applies to certain people I've come across in life.
Some people just seem to drag you down, they are always moaning about their latest illness, the latest insult from someone, the latest unfair thing that happened to them etc. You start a conversation with them feeling quite bright and chirpy and by the end of it you are dragged down into the miasma that is their life. They can't see themselves doing it and genuinely believe they are hard done by and need to tell you their grievances - these people are Light Suckers.
I try to avoid Light Suckers if I can because I don't want to be drawn into the pity party or "poor me" view of life - and it is easy to go down that path. If you get mired too deeply in the dark that this creates, you start sucking out other people's light too because you draw them into the misery with you.
I am making a conscious effort to not become a Light Sucker and to shine light out to others, rather than sucking light off people and leaving a grayness behind. I want to leave people feeling happier for having spent time with me, rather than leaving them feeling flat or sad. Sometimes it's hard to not fall into the trap of being a Light Sucker, but if I keep working on it then maybe I can become the sort of person that I'd like to have a conversation with.
The older I get, the easier it is to fall into the trap of moaning about life's injustices and misadventures and how I'm being left out and left behind. It takes effort to look to the brighter side of things and find joy in mid-life and all the little aches and pains and ups and downs. If I look hard enough, there is still a lot of light and life to give out and share with others, so I'm planning on making the effort to shine rather than suck.
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