Strolling Around The Night Light

When you live with anyone for at least a night, and you have some modest amount of consideration, you may have to move around a certain way during the night. This is of course to be of as little disruption as possible, naturally. This is in situations where space and privacy are at a premium. It's less applicable in other situations, of course. There's an inconvenience to it, but when one thinks of it as being stealthy and not considerate, it's a little more fun. A trip to the bathroom from a shared bedroom or to the kitchen through an occupied living room becomes a thrilling adventure when you imagine yourself to be a ninja or a commando carrying out a daring mission behind enemy lines. Of course, the imagination need not necessarily be employed to such a degree.

The important thing is how you achieve nighttime transit around the home without disturbing others. The floor plays into things some. Obviously carpeting makes it easier to walk quietly. Where there is tile, wood or any other hard surface, the trip must be made in socks or bare feet. It may well be that this is standard attire while in the home, but you'll be coming home in shoes, so when returning home late you must remove them before setting foot into a sound-sensitive home. Don't throw them, or it defeats the whole purpose of taking them off.

Doors and obstructions are another obvious hazard. When in an unfamiliar home, you must be very careful to move slowly and feel around, as the lights may not be an option. This is less of a challenge when you know the terrain well. A cell phone or lighter may be of considerable aid here, although the lighter obviously has a higher risk factor. Be sure to cup one hand to shield sleeping persons from the light.  Don't forget, though: you're sharing the home, and others who live there may very well have shifted the contents of the room. Woe betide the one who thinks he knows where things are, only to scrape a knee on a newly arrived bicycle.

Something more of concern for the guest trying to do things at night is how things work, and not merely where they are. Everything from knobs to electronics vary from home to home have their own way of working, and in the dark everything becomes much harder to figure out. The smart thing to do is leave them alone, and not risk trouble. If trouble must be risked, think things through before trying to use them. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Making the extra effort to understand the toilet before using it may be the difference between being welcome to return and not. In general, deliberation and observation are key. You might not realize the need for stealth until the moment is upon you, and the ability to adjust at a moment's notice is essential.