Monday, February 02, 2009

Power-Full Days



We have power! We are back on the grid! When we stand in front of the vent, hot air comes out! When we flip a light switch, there is light! It's amazing.

When I read back over the previous post, I gag a little bit.
The With Electricity At Her Fingertips Mollie thinks that Pioneer No Electricity Mollie is a little delusional and too positive. I tried to be diligent about writing something each day we were without electricity so I could remember the things that really made me lose patience and the things that weren't all that bad. I am aware, and did document, that I had to shut off the parts of my brain that needed to dwell in Pity Land.
I HAD to be that positive and delusional that we could do it or I think I would have cried the whole time.

Now that all my fingers and toes are warm, and I'm not cashing in favors from friends, it's like my brain has shifted and shut off other parts (like the survival instinct parts), and I calmly turn on the stove to boil water for tea.
How can the change happen so fast?

I can't figure out if my dominant emotion is disappointment in myself, or sheer gratitude for the return of the conveniences I am reluctantly attached to. Maybe the gratitude and disappointment are edges of the same cliff: my parenting cliff.

Today I'll lean on the side of gratitude, and I'll sip my hot tea and catch up on some serious blog reading.

6 comments:

fen said...
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Babs said...

Good thoughts. I remember feeling similarly about my thoughts and myself back in September after Ike left us without power for almost 4 days. At least then we didn't need AC or heat...and I had my Mom here to distract me and entertain us. You should be proud of yourself for surviving the episode on various levels. And keep on drinking that tea.

Mel said...

I felt the same way after Katrina... except I was sipping iced tea when I was reflecting on the experience!

MacLeodCartoons said...

Welcome back to the modern world, Mollie!
And a great piece in Evansville Parents' Magazine, you cool mommy-blogger.

iMollie said...

Thanks, James. it was a bizarre, wonderful experience to be interviewed and photographed. Almost as wonderful and bizarre as it is to have electricity again...

iMollie said...

Mel - glad you had cold tea down there! we'll have to share some good Southern tea someday...