Describe the word night.

Night is the domain of all that humans find mysterious, foreboding and evil. The natural darkness where all things unseen thrive on the imagination of our minds. Much can be written about this time, but a perhaps different perspective can be garnered from linking two common aspects of humanity; the presence of the sun, and the presence of wealth.

Night is the ultimate division between the rich and the poor. For the very poor, night represents a period of rest but also of insecurity. Light is not abundant and little can be done with poor lighting. Night represents unease as poor shelter and security lend itself to crimes against the vulnerable. Night is a time of inaction where little can be done to feed mouths or to conduct trade.

For the working class, night represents a time of envy. The vast majority of jobs that begin early in the day are unskilled and skilled labour; they cannot largely be enjoyed as sleep is necessary to wake early for work. The poor often live further away from their jobs with longer commutes; the day is spent toiling in paid labour, and the night remains short, welcoming them home but allowing few moments to spend with loved ones. Alternatively, the night represents a time of work. Working for those who are able to afford to enjoy it. Night shift jobs are taken largely by those needing more money to push their living standards to one they strive to achieve.

For the rich, night represents a time of excess. The night stretches for as long as they desire. The night is filled with enjoyable activities that those with free time and money can enjoy. The night represents the excesses of partying, of recreational drug use, of free flowing alcohol. It represents drunken hijinks, one night stands, blaring music. It also represents another face - a face so vastly different often from the daytime; the make-up and dressing up to physically transform oneself to impress themselves and others; the donning of the night personality of exuberance and almost artificial happiness, the mindset of respect towards hedonism.

Rich are those who can spend the night whittling time for short-lived pleasures and can spend the day after in recuperation. Materially rich - they may not realise it, or complain their bank accounts are a few zeroes too short to be considered actually rich - but they have no significant burdens to be truly poor. They have no jobs to work at the day after; no dependents that need them to return home to care for; no pursuits, no studies, that they need to spend the night for to better themselves and thus their families or communities.

For the rich that do not spend their nights as such, it still represents a luxury that many people in the world cannot have. The nights at home in winter, cuddling up to a loved one whilst the heater runs and long-haired textiles comfort your warm bodies. The nights in a hotel room, enjoying a view or watching the television, or reading a good book with a glass of your desired drink.

It is not about feeling guilty about taking advantage of the night, though. It is merely just a recognition, a reflection, an introspection on how people from different walks of life may view the night.  The night brings with it a certain joy for me. A calm serenity of quietness that descends as the hours tick through and the moonlight flimsily enters my bedroom. The glow of my laptop feels comforting as I read, write, and think. I certainly have been raised privileged, have been raised to feel the night is an ally, not an enemy. That the night is a time of comfort and peace, rather than a time of concern and deceit. I am truly a night owl, and I recognise the circumstances that have enabled me to enjoy the night, as many of us do. It is a privilege.