DayofReckoning
Enlightened
Just had an experience with my mother that made me think of this common talking point we see, a point in which, in some regards, I sometimes understand and agree with. But other times I'm not so sure. Let me explain.
A few years ago, after observing my mother fiddling with the little coin cell LED light on her keychain, I was hit with a tide of guilt. Here I am, self proclaimed Flashaholic, with tons of "expensive" and bright (not really expensive per say, you guys know how non-flashaholics are, anything other than the plastic Rayovac is "expensive") flashlights, and I'm watching my mom make due with this little keychain light.
Me "Mom, do you like that light?" Mom "Not so much, it isn't very bright at all". Conveyed with those feelings of guilt, I purchased her a Surefire Sidekick. Now, to be fair, this is a bright little light, and it's 300 lumen rating, from what I see, seems reasonably close. "Wow, that is so bright, it's amazing, Thank you Son!, etc, etc".
Fast forward a few years to the other day. My mom has taken on a job of taking care of an elderly man in a not so great part of town in the evenings. This venture of her's requires her to park in a parking garage that is apparently not so well lit, along with a short walk. "Son, this place I go to is pretty dark, I sometimes feel frightned, I love the light you bought me, but I really wish I had something brighter that could light up the parking garage better, I would feel a lot safer if I did".
That's when it hit me. My mom, who has Zero interest in flashlights (on the contrary, she probably thinks we are idiots for how much we spend
), Zero interest in our hobby, Zero interest in what brand is brighter than another, No bias whatsoever, is sitting here telling me that the 300 lumens I gave her is not adequate. Instantly I think of telling her "but you only need X amount of brightness, do you really NEED those X amount of Lumens mom?" argument. But then I stop to think to myself, "How long can we continue to use this argument"?
For example, remember when everybody use to journey to far away, and potentially dangerouos places with no cell phone? Now at the time, when cell phones were the size of 2 liter's, and wouldn't fit into duffle packs, most would have said "oh come on, you don't NEED a phone to go do those things", yet now, we are at a point where no one would leave without their phone, despite earlier cries that phone weren't needed.
I think we may be at a similar position with flashlights. "60 lumens is all you really need". "200 lumens is all you really need". Notice a pattern here?
Point being, when we have Keychain lights putting out more light than some manufacturer's full sized 2X18650 lights, one has to question how long this myth of "You only NEED X amount of lumens" will continue to be repeated within our hobby, and how long some manufacturer's will be able to hide behind this mythical statement.
With that ramble out of the way, I must find my Mother a brighter light!
A few years ago, after observing my mother fiddling with the little coin cell LED light on her keychain, I was hit with a tide of guilt. Here I am, self proclaimed Flashaholic, with tons of "expensive" and bright (not really expensive per say, you guys know how non-flashaholics are, anything other than the plastic Rayovac is "expensive") flashlights, and I'm watching my mom make due with this little keychain light.
Me "Mom, do you like that light?" Mom "Not so much, it isn't very bright at all". Conveyed with those feelings of guilt, I purchased her a Surefire Sidekick. Now, to be fair, this is a bright little light, and it's 300 lumen rating, from what I see, seems reasonably close. "Wow, that is so bright, it's amazing, Thank you Son!, etc, etc".
Fast forward a few years to the other day. My mom has taken on a job of taking care of an elderly man in a not so great part of town in the evenings. This venture of her's requires her to park in a parking garage that is apparently not so well lit, along with a short walk. "Son, this place I go to is pretty dark, I sometimes feel frightned, I love the light you bought me, but I really wish I had something brighter that could light up the parking garage better, I would feel a lot safer if I did".
That's when it hit me. My mom, who has Zero interest in flashlights (on the contrary, she probably thinks we are idiots for how much we spend
), Zero interest in our hobby, Zero interest in what brand is brighter than another, No bias whatsoever, is sitting here telling me that the 300 lumens I gave her is not adequate. Instantly I think of telling her "but you only need X amount of brightness, do you really NEED those X amount of Lumens mom?" argument. But then I stop to think to myself, "How long can we continue to use this argument"?For example, remember when everybody use to journey to far away, and potentially dangerouos places with no cell phone? Now at the time, when cell phones were the size of 2 liter's, and wouldn't fit into duffle packs, most would have said "oh come on, you don't NEED a phone to go do those things", yet now, we are at a point where no one would leave without their phone, despite earlier cries that phone weren't needed.
I think we may be at a similar position with flashlights. "60 lumens is all you really need". "200 lumens is all you really need". Notice a pattern here?
Point being, when we have Keychain lights putting out more light than some manufacturer's full sized 2X18650 lights, one has to question how long this myth of "You only NEED X amount of lumens" will continue to be repeated within our hobby, and how long some manufacturer's will be able to hide behind this mythical statement.
With that ramble out of the way, I must find my Mother a brighter light!
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