Electrical that is. I am talking about electricity. The storm that swept through Southern California last week left most of San Gabriel valley (and other Los Angeles areas) without electricity for a few days. Some cities were able to clean up their streets and fix up their wires within two or three days, and for some it took up to a week. Sides of many streets are still lined with chopped up branches of trees, palm leaves and broken tree trunks.
It is in times like these when you're left without electricity in your home that you actually come to realize just how dependent we all are on this modern convenience and how great all those days are when you have lights and warmth and are able to use your wireless internet. Those days are taken for granted until something like this storm comes along. A home without electricity feels so lifeless for some reason, so quiet and sad. Another thought that comes to mind is how being dependent on one resource is so dangerous - no power and there's chaos on the streets, in the stores. What we most rely on nowadays, all our technology is powered by electricity. Take it away and everything lies in ruins - a bunch of useless, lifeless stuff. Isn't that crazy?
Sitting in a darkened room lit only with candles made me go back in time and think of those people who did not have electricity in their homes, the times before it was even invented. Thinking of those people made me sort of jealous of them: they did not know such thing existed therefore they did not need it or missed not having it. They were really able to enjoy long evenings with family and friends, sitting near a fireplace reading or conversing with others. Life was so much simpler back then.
And while for two days we've been struggling to keep our refrigerator cold by stuffing it with ice (finding which was no easy task, after all the whole valley needed it!) I did manage to see some positive sides to this whole ordeal. For one thing - this was a wonderful opportunity to take a break from our busy lives overfilled with digital media, information and oh-so-many-things-to-do, and just enjoy the moment. I finally got to finish reading the book that I began reading months ago. We got to enjoy two evenings of simply talking by the fireplace, sipping on hot tea and taking our time to relax. No emails, blogs, computers or browsing internet, just sit and talk. Lots of candles everywhere and lots of hot tea! Our heaters are electric so the only source of heat we had was our fireplace. Two days of romantic atmosphere and relaxing (to a certain point, it was rather cold which im my mind makes relaxing sort of complicated). It was good, I suppose, but I'm glad it was over soon.
So I guess, my point is, taking a break once in a while is great. Sometimes, life just makes you take a break when you think you're way too busy for that. And that's good too. Now, however, the romantic time is over and it's time to dive back into the holiday rush, preparing and fussing and doing things: those Christmas cards are not going to send themselves! So off I go, catching up on all the things I missed in the two-day break:)
It is in times like these when you're left without electricity in your home that you actually come to realize just how dependent we all are on this modern convenience and how great all those days are when you have lights and warmth and are able to use your wireless internet. Those days are taken for granted until something like this storm comes along. A home without electricity feels so lifeless for some reason, so quiet and sad. Another thought that comes to mind is how being dependent on one resource is so dangerous - no power and there's chaos on the streets, in the stores. What we most rely on nowadays, all our technology is powered by electricity. Take it away and everything lies in ruins - a bunch of useless, lifeless stuff. Isn't that crazy?
Sitting in a darkened room lit only with candles made me go back in time and think of those people who did not have electricity in their homes, the times before it was even invented. Thinking of those people made me sort of jealous of them: they did not know such thing existed therefore they did not need it or missed not having it. They were really able to enjoy long evenings with family and friends, sitting near a fireplace reading or conversing with others. Life was so much simpler back then.
And while for two days we've been struggling to keep our refrigerator cold by stuffing it with ice (finding which was no easy task, after all the whole valley needed it!) I did manage to see some positive sides to this whole ordeal. For one thing - this was a wonderful opportunity to take a break from our busy lives overfilled with digital media, information and oh-so-many-things-to-do, and just enjoy the moment. I finally got to finish reading the book that I began reading months ago. We got to enjoy two evenings of simply talking by the fireplace, sipping on hot tea and taking our time to relax. No emails, blogs, computers or browsing internet, just sit and talk. Lots of candles everywhere and lots of hot tea! Our heaters are electric so the only source of heat we had was our fireplace. Two days of romantic atmosphere and relaxing (to a certain point, it was rather cold which im my mind makes relaxing sort of complicated). It was good, I suppose, but I'm glad it was over soon.
So I guess, my point is, taking a break once in a while is great. Sometimes, life just makes you take a break when you think you're way too busy for that. And that's good too. Now, however, the romantic time is over and it's time to dive back into the holiday rush, preparing and fussing and doing things: those Christmas cards are not going to send themselves! So off I go, catching up on all the things I missed in the two-day break:)
