There is a strange pleasure in being forced to switch gears because of a sudden change in a routine. Shortly aften ten last night the electricity went off. My husband was already asleep, but I was left in the dark sitting on the couch when the TV, lights and air conditioners stopped functioning and I found myself in the dim glow of the laptop which had switched to battery power. Unused to this, my immediate response was to shut down the laptop as I would with any computers (since I hadn’t been smart enough to shut down the other two with the warning of the storm). This move left me in total black silence.
I put the laptop back on, thinking, Hah! Curse you, Storm! But without internet access which is dependent upon electricity for the cable modem, and without the inspiration to work on story, I used the screen’s glow as a $2500 flashlight to shut off the TV and A/C then shut the laptop down as well.
Finding my way through the dark familiarity of my home, I sought to find a flashlight while shutting down as many of the lights and gadgets that I remembered were left on, knowing that the power surge might be too much when the juice was turned back on.
Then I went to bed. Shortly after five this morning we got the electricity back. All the lights were off except a nightlight in the bathroom, and I made my way through the rooms resetting all the flashing "12:00" digital clocks.
A blip in the day, an event that changed what I otherwise might have done, and in the end, what difference did it make in a lifetime of opportunity? Would I have otherwise spent the time writing the best story I have ever written?
Or, just not missed the rest of Crossing Jordan and a visit with Trip and Grace.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology