During this time of the great Houston blackout, I thought about my trip a few years back to Kenya. My sweet friend, Mr. Mayoli, lives in his village with rainwater and no electricity. And it's a pretty comfortable life.
Maybe it's just the spirit of Mr. Mayoli which helps him not to mind not having those conveniences. Before becoming a widower, he lived for many years in the city, and during his retirement, moved back to the village where he grew up. I tried to keep a positive attitude and be grateful for things I did have: cool air (provided by God) and hot water (also provided by God through my gas water heater).
In Houston, not having lights has created a panic. Everyone rushes to the be the first to have every available D-battery in town (I'm assuming that one person hogged them all, because it took me days to find a store that had them). And finding a flashlight is like finding a brick of gold. I really wanted a flashlight that doubled as a latern, but did not have the luxury of finding anything nearly as cool as that during the high-demand.
Over and over again, the best thing that I've heard that has happened during these days (Lord, please not weeks) of no power, is getting to know/talk to neighbors. It's bizarre that the lights have to go out to realize that people are home.
I sometimes get frustrated with the constant noise of the city, but when all the power stopped working, and everything was dark and quiet, it was pretty scary. I wasn't really that scared of predators, mainly just roaches and possums.
So, thanks to the power company and friends for lighting my world. And prayers for all the workers' safety, and for those who are far from home helping out the Houston area.
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1 comments:
gL said...
yeah those inner city possums will get you if you aren't watching for them....