Friday, February 8, 2013

Freakin' About No Power

I don't remember ever losing power growing up in New Jersey in the 70's - 90's. It has happened a few times in New England due to hurricans and snow storms. It always amazes me how much people freak-out about it. I understand if you have medical conditions that warrant having electricity. Let's just take that off the table. I, also, understand if you don't have any way to heat your house.

What I find is people are so upset to lose their electronics. The main thing is their television. There are many Americans that fill their past-time with television and it is as if you cut-off their arm if they no longer can watch television.

A close second is computers. (Of course, this post is based on solid knowledge due to me surveying half a million Americans in a structured study . . .) Without the internet, how are people supposed to know what their movie stars tweeted, and how long to boil an egg. Thank goodness for iphones and other phones that people can access their email, and the internet.

Among other things, if not fully charged, people will miss video games, kindles, ipads, tablets, itouch, and idon't-know-what-else. With the current impending storm to hit New England my kids made sure to plug in all their electronics, "just in case the power goes out."

Me, besides worrying about keeping the food in the fridge from spoiling, I am fine without electricity. I love to light a room with candles, card games, board games, and reading (I am addicted to my Kindle, but unless we lose electricity for a month I should be good.) And then there is this phenomenon called talking . . . a wierd thing conversing with people instead of staring at a rectangle with pictures moving on it.

My world was simpler when I lived in the woods (except for those 12 at-risk youth I was responsible for). We just made sure we had enough firewood and kerosene. A more complex life is not bad, but I have to laugh at people freaking out about losing these electronics for a few days.

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