It has been the week of haves and have-nots. Either you have electricity of you don't. Although the woes continue, I can't help but notice something remarkable. We have all come to play in the sandbox together. Furthermore, we are sharing our toys. Where normally, we would share a friendly wave with our neighbors and then get on with our busy lives, today I spent time really talking with my neighbors. For some strange reason that I wish someone would explain to me, the absence of technology has slowed done our pace. People don't seem to be in a rush to walk back into their houses or get back to their schedule. It was really nice to go beyond the usual pleasantries and really hear their stories. It's nice to share with one another, what is needed to get through Irene's leftovers.. Sharing basics like water, board games and ice may be the key to creating a real community. Since suburban sprawl began and we started to drive everywhere to get our commodities, we have forgotten how to reach out to the ones nearby. If we need it, we quickly get in the car and get it. Imagine a world where fuel begins to dry up or becomes cost prohibitive. It wouldn't be very different from the lack of energy we are experiencing at the moment from the hurricane. We would share our gardens, our tools, and put our heads together to make things work. We would grab a squash out each others garden and in turn, bring over some muffins to say thank you. We would build a fire and talk around it to pass the time. Our home is one of the few that retained it's electricity after Irene. While grateful that I can flush a toilet without a workout plan, I feel like we have missed out on this experience. For us, there was no fun with flashlights for the kids. No board games. No love affair with a can opener. I still have to make dinner because my oven and stove works. I wish they didn't. My old house was built in 1741, it's practically begging for candlelight. The moral of the story here is to watch what you wish for. You'll look back on the "hard" times and realize they had some distinct qualities that truly made these times better. There are perks, just no coffee.
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