It may be the year 2011 but somehow we are stuck back in the Ice Age. It only takes one blown wire for all of today’s modern amenities to be taken away from us. For 12 long hours, about 10 of which was spent sleeping, I felt as if I was trapped in some prehistoric cave, only with a comfortable bed and blankets.
We often take for granted all the luxuries that electricity provides until they are taken away. Until having to brush my teeth and get dressed for bed in the dark, I never gave any thought to all the assistance light provides. I did learn how it feels to get toothpaste in your nose though…it stings a little. I didn’t even try to floss, it’s another six months until I go to the dentist anyway.
To be stuck in the dark and disconnected from the world can be pretty scary. You feel all alone. There is no television, phone service, or internet capabilities. What if there is a real emergency, how could you tell people? Yes, there are cell phones, but they can only last so long before needing to be charged. I used up all my ‘power bars’ by calling people to tell them the power was out.
Imagine the horror of also being without Facebook, having to wonder what my ‘friends’ were eating rather than the information being at my fingertips. Plus, my crops on Farmville would soon die if I couldn’t get online to harvest them. I had spent two hours planting them! Not to mention the dreaded tragedy of not being able to make coffee in the morning! Could holding the pot over a candle possibly lead to brewing?
I was also worried about becoming malnourished. The choices of food become very limited without the use of a microwave, or stove and oven for the more advanced cooks. Cold cut sandwiches are only good for so long, plus things begin to spoil in the refrigerator. It’s a vicious cycle. I had to scarf down all the ice cream, a pair of two gallon containers, that was in the freezer so they wouldn’t melt and go to waste.
Beyond a severe head freeze, and a little puddle in the bathroom from when I tried to go in the dark while half asleep, the power outage went without any incidents. It was a great feeling of relief though when the lights came back on, along with the television and the endless list of closings. I again felt a part of the world and back in the 21st century.
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