Electricity

Friday morning I woke up to no electricity. It was out for an hour and a half. That is an inconvience for just about everyone. But for my household it has an added seriousness. We are on a well, which means no electricity, no water. This means you don't run the taps or flush the toilets. This can make time without power seem very long, for inevitably as soon as you know you can't turn on the tap, you get thirsty and as soon as you know you can't flush the toilet, you have a desperate need to go. It's like when your hands are covered in something yucky or you are carrying something, your nose immediately begins to itch! The human body is a source of frustration, it always seems to know when you can't give it what it wants.

No electricity has some good points too. The house becomes quiet. I mean really quiet. No hum of lights or motors, no led lights glowing on all the electrical equipment, nothing. Just quiet and an opportunity to get in touch with the very essence of stillness. It is like stepping out of time for a moment and then . . . . there is a beep somewhere in the house, the noise of the pump in the basement and the led lights flashing and we are back in time. It actually went by really quickly," I whisper.

Are you listening?