Saturday, June 20, 2015

The Winds of Time

Life gets a little complicated sometimes. Seems to be more so for me these days than ever before.
Like the storm we had yesterday: It was rather isolated and many of our friends and relatives escaped it, but it got us – with a vengeance!
I felt so helpless watching a fierce wind rip out a large section of our six-foot privacy fence as if it were a twig! When these things happen, we quickly learn a new respect for terrifying weather conditions and a new appreciation for something we normally take for granted like electricity. We learn the hard way, but by Jove, we learn!
The power went off at 5:15 p.m. and Mr. H. and I sat in candlelight twiddling our thumbs for the next seven hours and twenty minutes. Liza Jane, our cat, rather enjoyed the flickering of the candlelight and the light from the flashlight I carried from room to room.
Even after the power came back on, at 12:40 a.m., Suddenlink didn’t. So we still had no TV, telephone or computer. But never let it be said that I can’t find something to do at any given time. Between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m., I cooked the meat that I was preparing to cook when the power went off at 5:15. I was fixing Mr. H’s favorite dish, pepper steak. After the meat was thawed, I had no choice but to cook it. But needless to say, he’d had cheese sandwiches for dinner instead, but the pepper steak was just as wonderful today!
My grandmother used to say, “There’s a good reason for everything that happens if you just look for it.” I used to think that was just wishful thinking, but, as I get older, I know what she meant. It doesn’t exactly reach out and touch you, you have to look for it.
The good that came out of our seven and a half hour hiatus was that Mr. H. and I actually had a conversation! Something we rarely do.
Mr. H. is a man of few words and about the only time I get to have a real conversation with him is when I’ve got him held hostage in the car on a trip or when the power goes off.
We talked about many things, but what I enjoyed most was comparing our present situation to how it must have been for our ancestors getting up at the crack of dawn and going to bed at dark. They worked hard all day in daylight and were tired enough to go to sleep as soon as the sun went down. There was nothing else to do anyway with no TV or computers. However, they did have large families in those days – and that’s all I have to say about that!
Yes, these unexpected events teach us to be flexible if nothing else. No point in whining over something you can’t control. Just go with the flow, eat cold sandwiches instead of your favorite dinner, enjoy the beauty of flickering candlelight and by all means, have a conversation!
You just might enjoy it.

 

3 comments:

Dennis J. said...

Your grandmother was a wise woman Peggy. There is something good in most things. I love the way you put your stories together. You're such a wonderful story teller. Don't ever stop!

Linda said...

Beautiful Peggy. You take the most mundane subjects and turn them into interesting stories. You have a real talent! Love this one.

Jim said...

Great post. Sorry Mr. H. hsd to eat cheese sandwiches. :)