Okay, it may not change your life drastically, but it does make an impact in more ways than having to clean out your freezer. The feeling of relief when those lights turn back on, the new appreciation you have for the convenience of electricity and the respect you have for those who lived before the time of electrical power is humbling. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of so many people across the country who are dealing with power outages due to the huge storm sweeping across the United States right now. In our little neck of the woods, we are not being affected by that storm, but experienced our own bout with mother nature just last week when She took our power away for a couple of days.
The first few hours of a power outage are entirely tolerable, and it can even be exciting, especially if you have kids who think it's a great adventure. This is an ideal time for some survival lessons like how to build a fire or use the old-fashioned means of fire to cook, or at least heat, things. (Fortunately for me, there was plenty of food in the house because I would not have wanted to have to teach my kids how to hunt down their food in the middle of winter, since I really don't know how to do that myself!) It's also a great time for some safety lessons on candle and oil lamp usage and how to "feel" your way through your house in complete darkness without breaking your neck. This lesson can be a little tricky if you've recently rearranged furniture or someone has left something out in the middle of the floor, as sometimes happens at our house! And, a power outage is also the perfect time for a history lesson and a lesson in respect and appreciation of what we have in today's world that so many people who came before us lived their entire lives without. It's a great chance to throw out little remarks like, "You know, until the last hundred years or so, there was no such thing as electricity," and "Imagine what it would've been like to have been Laura Ingalls and have to do your homework by candlelight every night." Of course, this last remark will only make sense if your kids already know who Laura Ingalls was. Then, there's also the fun of playing board games or card games, reading aloud by candlelight and such. Since the Wii entered our home, board games and card games became obsolete and reading by candlelight is not so much fun anyway, so it should be saved only for special occasions such as a power outage! And, best of all, roasting marshmallows on chopsticks over the open fire in the fireplace. Now, that's fun!
However, about six hours into a power outage, the fun and excitement begin to dwindle away and those feelings are replaced by frustration, irritation and boredom. The sense of adventure fades quickly and becomes the thought of "How much longer?" Everyone becomes a little quieter and a little irritable. As a mother, I began to worry about the food in the freezer and how long the batteries in the radio and flashlights would last.
In today's world, at least by Day Two of a power outage most everyone will be suffering from technological withdrawal symptoms. Let's face it, computers, internet, television and video games have become a major part of our daily lives. The kids and I were feeling this compulsive need to click and type and scroll, to see a screen light up and to interact with it in some way. Depression and boredom were really set in by this time and when we got that first momentary flicker of electricity, about forty-six hours into the power outage, my heart skipped a beat. Of course, it was about three hours later before we actually had our power back on for real, but that little flicker lightened everybody's mood and made those next few hours bearable.
So, how did that change my life? Well, I've been reminded of just how much convenience we have in the modern world we live in and humbled by the thought of how difficult life used to be for the generations who came before this time of technology. And, there were no easy buttons back then! I've also been reminded that there are many people around the world who still don't have these modern conveniences and many who still live on the outside of what we would call civilization. And yet, I look around and see all the constant stresses everyone I know seems to be living under and I have to wonder just how much better off we are, or is life actually more difficult for us?
Personally, I've come to the conclusion that this whole technology thing has gone a little too far and we would all be better off to take a few steps back in time, not so far back that we are truly roughing it, but at least back to a time before our lives became so hurried that we no longer write full words or take the time to smile and say hello to a stranger. Back to a time before people walked around with phones in their ears while shopping, talked on the phone while driving; back to when people actually watched where they were walking, instead of texting as they did so; back to when people believed there was a time and place for everything, a time for work and a time for play, and not everything had to be done at once. Folks just seemed a lot happier when they were satisfied with what they had, instead of always needing more. Maybe it's just time we slowed down a bit and took a look around at what we're missing as we're trying to have it all.
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