I have been enlightened to my dependency on electricity. I was recently sick for two days, and when I returned to work I had a record number of voice mails and emails. And that's just for two
days. So, I got to thinking...what would my life be like without power?
A Day In The Life With No Power:
- First, I wake up late because I have no alarm.
- I take a shower but I can't blow dry my hair so I look like crap. That's okay though, because without power, there are no supermodels. Score!
- I make the kids breakfast with NO microwave and they still miss Eggos in the toaster. Which now just stores notebooks.
- I ride my bike to work since I only work three miles away. It still kills me. Also, I have not been able to get the car out of the garage since the power went out. I use the van for an extra closet now.
- At work, there is no coffee machine so everyone has their own thermos full of the sweet elixir. Sometimes two thermoses look alike and there is a fist fight in the lobby. It breaks up the monotony of the day and a break from handwriting everything.
- Paychecks still come on Friday, but they are in scrip. I pedal like a maniac to the store to get fresh kill for supper. On the other side of town, Husband is pedaling like mad too. Whoever gets there first doesn't have to heat up water for the kids baths. And drag it in buckets upstairs.
- Weekends we take turns guarding our stockpile and laugh about shows we used to watch, especially Coupon Clippers and Honey Boo Boo. Then we stop laughing when we realize, we live a LOT like Honey Boo Boo now.
I know there are other modern conveniences we would miss, but these are the ones that readily come to mind. What POWERful extravagance would you miss most?
Modern medicine.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be around long to miss anything else, sadly.
(I wanted to like that show, I really did, but I watched the first two episodes and decided I couldn't stand five more minutes of the MC).
Communication. When the June 2011 derecho hit and knocked out power along most of the Eastern US for in some places over a week, it took many cell towers with it - no phone or wifi. No lights, no TV, no air conditioning in 105-degree weather, no computer. Food spoiling all over the place. And because I have an electric range, no way to heat ANYTHING. Electric hot water heater, so I took the hot shower before the hot water turned cold. Four 105-degree days later, I couldn't face the cold shower but a cold water wash did okay. I couldn't work because I work on line. I could and did read and actually wrote my wip at the time by hand. But no Internet to check facts so lots of notes in the margins. I did have a battery operated radio which kept me from going insane. I'd have loved to clean house since I had extra time - but no fans, high heat kept me struggling for breath with my asthma. I couldn't even cut my grass because my mower is electric. But what did I miss? The outside world. Communication.
ReplyDeleteAnd writing, don't forget, with pen and paper!
ReplyDelete