Yesterday we had a power cut.....
Quite an inconvenient one!
Although is there ever a convenient one?
Ah well maybe, I might remember a time as a slightly bored corporate monkey, where a power cut might have been quite a welcome break from the monotony!
But an on-line retailer in a power cut, no internet access at all, then no there is no welcome time for a power cut! I feel a little bit like my arms and legs have been cut off, there is of course the laptop with its fab battery pack so I am able to get along with a few off-line bits and pieces.
The evening draws in much faster than expected and the whole family are left in the dark gloom of dusk, with nothing left to do but spend time with each other! Oh the horror as we realise this means the family has to talk to one another without the aid of an electronic device... I am really not sure I remember how to do that!
I am reminded of the power cuts of old, when I was a little girl, now that I think about it, they did happen with regularity, I have strong memories of my parents shuffling around in the dark trying to find the kitchen draw with the emergency candles and torches in it. We would all huddle around the gloomy lights in the living room and spend the evening playing games with each other, cards usually, my mum would sometimes read to us or other times if we were feeling especially brave we would break out the monopoly board!
Actually those evenings were really nice, when everything just stops for a moment, the world stands still and you get to take a break and spend time with the people that really matter to you and there is something beautiful in the warm glow of candle light that lets face is a very flattering light to be bathed in!
Next time you are in a power out if it extends a reasonable distance then I heartily recommend you take a moment to stand outside, hopefully there are no clouds and you will be able to see the stars in way you don't normally get to seen them, without the light contamination from houses and street lights the stars are truly beautiful. If you can, find a vantage point where you can see the boundary of the power outage the sight of all the light we generate glowing on the horizon does bring home just how much power we really are using, it glows not just on the ground but also extending up towards space in a pretty orange glow.
Youngest son had a great time, creeping around our house in the pitch black with his own torch, the little guy thought it was a terrific adventure and was heard several times exclaiming how this was the best power cut ever! Such is the life of a seven year old little adventurer!
I am saddened to realise that actually these power cuts might become a regular thing once again as our power crisis looms ever closer, our generation have been blessed really, power is one of those thing that we take for granted, but in India for instance power cuts happen all the time especially in the cities, I believe this does have something to the amount of electricity that is (not so) surreptitiously diverted from where it is supposed to be...
Bed time approaches and the power is still out, in the end we all have an early night, we clearly needed it too, not so much the half pints but for us adults, sleep comes quick and all is peaceful....
Until around 4 in the morning that is, the power comes back and every light and appliance in the house comes blaring into life in a burst of light colour and noise that has NOOOO place in my house at four in the morning.
Perhaps next time I shall remember to switch everything off.....