power out. rebellion.

[slowlyunfolding]

We had a power outage tonight. The whole neighbourhood was dark. It is so eerie when the power goes out without warning. It's only been raining, gently, all day. No insane storm to knock out a transformer, nothing. Anyway, sitting on the couch surrounded by candlelight, I was struck by a few things:

a) the security lights in the hall make a beeping noise that is really irritating
b) the entire neighbourhood was so quiet, it was like being inside a big library
c) candlelight is tricksy & flicker-y
d) it's hard not to bump into things in the dark
e) the tv, computer & stereo are totally useless without electricity
f) stories have more power in the darkness (I started thinking of all the fairy tales I know, and creeped myself out)
g) can't cook or make tea
h) when the power came back on, everything popped & crackled back to life. I was struck by how electric light is 'too' bright.
i) I am a creature that is drawn to the light. The first thing I did when the power went out was light a candle. 
j) I was thinking of reading just before the power went out. Impossible to read by the minimal candlelight I could muster without straining my eyes.
k) it's so easy to fill up your world with noise, or static. Having the radio/iTunes/stereo/tv on for 'background' ... and then having it taken away abruptly is a bit shocking.

Comments

[wilhelmina-d.livejournal.com]

Mmmm.... I love when power goes out. It's an annoyance sometimes, but I love how freeing it is. You literally can't read/answer emails/surf the web. You have to just sit with yourself and/or companions. I may have to deliberately turn our power off sometime just to have that free space.

[nalathilion.livejournal.com]

Yes to all of that.

except Mike was doing laundry & had to pull a half washed load out of the machine & go to the laundromat. I'm sure if he had been home we would have had one of our marathon conversations about stuff.

Growing up we didn't have a VCR or microwave and the internet didn't really exist until I went to university. I remember just reading books to pass the time, or writing in my journal. I was sad I couldn't access my LJ. :( It was also too dark to write in my paper journal.