The Power Available During A Power Outage!

Or… Enjoy The Power!

The most recent power outage in the Northeast due to Hurricane Irene put us out of electricity and connectivity for five whole days.. What I found most incredible were the number of responses I received from friends when I got back on line and posted that we were back connected again. The overwhelming response that came back from so many friends was: ENJOY the POWER!  I had to chuckle… Then I got to thinking about it, and during those days and nights when all the electronic power options disappeared, we did other, essential and wonderful things to occupy our time.

The definition of Power is the measure of one’s ability to control her environment. And, during the storm – when electricity, internet, cable, phone, tv and water (in our case) was shut off – rendering us “powerless”, an innate, more primitive sense of power actually showed up.

What slipped away as the sun set that first day was a sense of feeling controlled by too much work to do, people to respond to, emails to answer, meetings to attend, and calls to make. What showed up was space and time…. and a few friends with dishes to share for our power outage party!

Although inconvenient, this power outage was a great reminder about what is most important. We’re back up and connected again, but if life has taught me anything, it’s all about the little things. And even without power – there are a zillion lessons awaiting. Each could be a blog post itself! Here are some things I remembered during our power outage.

• Sometimes you have to tote the water
• Have a party despite the weather
• Fill the tubs before the storm
• Get a little help from your friends
• Light candles more often
• Stay outside until it’s dark
• Keep batteries fresh
• Play flashlight tag
• Build a fire
• Clean up after the storm
• Take a hike after the rain (just avoid swimming in the water)
• Eat food before it spoils
• Play a board game (or 2, or 3, or 4)
• Do a puzzle
• Make smore’s
• Draw
• Get together with friends
• During an emergency, check in with your family
• Share your resources – sometimes a pot full of hot water is the best gift to give
• What is essential is much less than I think it is

So, I echo my friend’s sentiments: Enjoy the power – however you can!