What I Learned

Days without power: a humbling experience.















I try very hard to learn something from the experiences I am presented with. For the past few days I've been trying to figure out what I learned from being without power for three and a half days. Some conclusions that I've come to are as follows, in no particular order...

Overall it was a humbling experience on several levels. First and foremost you have to be able to ask for help and/or be able to accept help when offered. For example, when someone invites you to use their shower, you say thank you very much I'll be there in ten minutes instead of no thanks I'll be fine. It also takes humility to walk into your cold, dark house where the dog and cats and plants are existing at a steady 40 degrees. When I completely fell apart on Sunday night that was what finally got me; I couldn't bare the thought of going out and having to walk back into our cold, dark house again. It gave me a new depth of understand for those who are unable to afford heat and especially for those who are homeless altogether.

I learned that nature can be beautiful in its destructiveness. Broken trees and limbs down everywhere entangled in power lines, but the trees still standing covered in ice with the sun shining on them made it look like a winter wonderland.

I know now that sleepless nights combined with a cold, dark house and word that it will be another day before the power comes back on will push me over the edge. "I can't stop crying..." I said to my mom in between sobs.

And finally the most important thing that I think I learned is this, with or without power, a Golden Retriever on a sugar high is hard to handle. So Jak, NO MORE CHOCOLATE!!!

According to the electric company's website there are only four remaining houses in our town that still do not have power. Those people have my deepest sympathy and empathy. For those who have only just gotten it back in the last day or two, they have my congratulations and a hearty welcome back to life as we knew it!