Observations: Power’s Out
A strange bump outside, and suddenly the overworked, window air conditioner emitted deafening silence. The lights went out and the whole apartment froze in darkness.
A power outage.
This isn’t a terribly unusual thing to observe, but its ramifications can be peculiar. In the minutes that follow the initial surprise, we may attempt to proceed with our plans. We quickly discover so many creature comforts are unavailable and doodads are rendered worthless. Suddenly our Wi-Fi connected bathroom scale won’t record our progress, our smart devices won’t search the web to tell us whom to call for pizza, and many of our most common forms of entertainment vanish. You reach in the fridge for a snack to pass the time and then wonder, “Should I not have done that? Maybe I just let all the cold out?!”
At least for me, the sheer efficiency of taking care of all my life’s basic needs is never more starkly on display than when electricity is taken away. I realize just how much I’m dependent on others to make sure systems are up and functioning, to make the things I do each day possible. It’s pretty amazing.
But more than that, during my most recent experience, I discovered another unusual ramification.
Community.
I first noticed it when I slid the windows open to let some of the storm’s breeze inside. I stood for a moment and realized two neighbors were having a conversation outside about the outage. They were observing that the houses across the street still had power. One informed the other that they had already contacted the power company. And then they parted with, “It was nice to meet you.”
About a half-hour later, I heard noises outside my door and realized my next-door neighbors were struggling in the now pitch-black stairwell. I opened my door to offer some glow from Ikea’s finest battery-powered lights. I told them what I knew and that I’d reported the outage myself. I knew their names, but I’d definitely never felt compelled to open my door just to talk to them.
Before long, a collection of neighbors and visiting friends had been invited to form a group in my neighbors’ apartment. Together, we talked, and laughed, and played games. We got to know one another far better than we’d ever done before.
And, I thank the power outage.
Sometimes, when we’re not distracted by the glow of our devices and the steady whir of our little indoor worlds, a community of friends can be exposed. We miss so many valuable experiences we could have with others while we’re in our air-conditioned comfort zones.
One of these days, I might put it to the test and tell my smart device to cut the power to everything… who knows who I might meet?