Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Un electric

I just got electricity back after 15 hours. It was 15 hours of my day off, too. I did the reasonable thing and slept much of it. But when I was awake, I didn't learn.

Evidently 14 is not enough hours to learn that I don't have electricity. It doesn't matter that I've been complaining about having no electricity for hours, when I enter a new room I flip the switch and then DUH. I'm no more aware than Pavlov's pups.

"How long is this going to last?" I wonder and go to the tv to see if they have an update. DUH.

Not one to give up easily, I go to my computer. DUH.

"That's ok, I'll do some cleaning," I say to myself and get out the vacuum. DUH, again. So I'll cook. DUH. I hold a glass under the ice and water dispenser on the front of my frig. DUH. Laundry? D D D Duh!

Am I really that helpless? I'll sit and read. In front the the window, holding the book just so, but it's still cloudy and dark outside and my eyes aren't that great. Oh, DUH!

I could take a shower, but it would be cold. There may be enough hot water just to wash my hair, but then how would I dry it? It's getting just a tad cool in here.

What the heck, the neighbors across the street have lights!!!! How can that be right? I'll bet they are just sitting there watching television in a warm house, eating hot food while folding fresh laundry. They probably don't even appreciate it.

Fourteen and a half hours. Boy, is it quiet here. Listen to that. All you can hear is the wind blowing the last of the stubborn oak leaves from the trees. Ida, that hurricane that didn't quite happen, happened enough to drop six or so inches of rain on us and blow enough to somehow disrupt our power. I have slippers and sweaters. My dog is warm. I have candles. I have peace. I have a cell phone and the opportunity to call people and tell them of this adventure. And I do.

Once, in a previous life, the dogs, hens, sheep, cats and I were alone during a snow and ice storm. We didn't have electricity for a long while. The sheep and hens didn't mind. We did have candles, lots of wood already cut, a wood stove that kept it warm in the house and water hot for tea. The dogs and I curled up and watched the snow come down outside. I wouldn't remember that particular night if the electricity had been on.

It's good that electricity goes off once in a while. It gives us memories. Life is grand.

3 comments:

  1. A few years ago, we had an ice storm. It lasted a couple of weeks with no electricity. It was horrible and very odd. One grew used to the silence and going to bed when the sun went down, but the cold! That was hard to bear.

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  2. That is a great reminder of how dependent we all are. The flicking light switches is so automated, I had a laugh there as I related to that same action of reaching into a room, hearing the click of the switch and then standing slightly bemused in darkness - it taking a few seconds then after the light click for the brain click to register the DUH.

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  3. I concur with Tao. I think we all do the DUH thing just out of habit, and we forget that almost everything we own runs on electricity.

    And I wonder what would happen if electricity went away forever . . .

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