Good Night, John Boy
I don't know about you, but when the electricity goes down in our neighbourhood, I get kind of excited. Last summer when everyone on the eastern seaboard lost their lights, there was just a cool buzz going on. Everyone sat on their porches, had a drink and kicked back. People were outside for a change, talking, interacting, and basically, just living.
I think it has something to do with the fact that when you lose power, you have to put away your crazy everyday life and go into survival mode. You have to actually live a real life for a few hours. I felt the same way last week when we lost power for an hour. We lit candles, and huddled around the kitchen table playing board games.
Mind you, I'm sure I wouldn't have felt that way if I was part of the ice storms that hit Nova Scotia and Quebec in the past - knocking out their power for weeks. But in little doses, I find it very exciting and fun to have to resort to interacting with family and friends and putting my everyday life aside.
In fact, Arthur and I both agree that we're going to institute a night once a month where we're "electricity-free". I think we'll leave the furnace on, but no one can use the lights, the power outlets, or anything like that. We'll have to do things by candlelight and make our own fun. I'm really looking forward to it. How crazy is that?
posted by Trillian @ 8:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I suppose I could read until it got dark but then I'd get the shakes. Having no form of self entertainment and be forced to spend time with people. Bleh.
The crazies are those who lack the perspective to understand the very concept of a no-energy evening. Perspective is what gives life that additional edge.
Our kids whine when we have a turn-off-everything day, but I'm sure they'll remember it when they're older - and will hopefully do the same with their own kids. You're giving your kids a gift that can't be bought, and they're lucky for it.
I wish more folks got it.
You know, Trillian, that's a hell of a good idea.
Unfortunately, we (that's a 'me and my family' we) tend to be unstructured and freeform in our living, and we probably wouldn't remember that we had scheduled a power-saving evening. That said, I'm going to see what I can do to have one once in a while.
When I was a teenager, my parents rented a cottage for 3 weeks every summer. There was no electricity, running cold water (from a hose run through a hole in the kitchen wall), and outhouse in the trees out back. We cooked on a big, old cast-iron wood stove, played games by lantern at night (the old-fashioned kind with a glass chimney), and had an absolute ball.
I'd love to do something similar with my kids.
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