And Now the Sun Shines

     I’m always amazed when suddenly, it turns as dark as night, rains cats and dogs, thunder booms and lightening crashes making me feel helpless and then, within a few minutes, it stops as fast as it started and the sun comes out again! Somehow, I feel as though I’ve been chastised, or at least, warned. It reminds me of the way my mother used to warn me about my behavior and then, kiss the top of my head to let me know she still loved me.

A little while ago, it was like that here. When I got up it was so dark, I thought perhaps my clocks were wrong and it was the middle of the night. Maybe I should go back to sleep, I thought. But I could hear Mr. H. going about his usual routine and knew it was time to get up. Suddenly a bolt of lightening, accompanied by booming thunder, seemed to come right through the skylight. I shrieked loudly, scaring poor Liza and she scurried from the room. 

Okay, I said to no one in particular, a cup of coffee and a little TV will relax me and the storm will be gone shortly – but no such luck! The cable was off! Lovely! No TV, no Internet, no phone calls, just total quiet. What will I do with that?

Think back, Peggy.... when you were growing up, you’d never even heard of the Internet or an iPhone, TV was available but expensive and everybody didn’t own one. (I’m telling my age here, aren’t I?) And even if they did, it was on only a few hours a day, usually in the evening.

What did we do with all that time?

Well, for one thing, we talked to each other. I think we’ve forgotten how nice conversation can be. Each family member contributed – sharing experiences and telling funny stories. We laughed and sometimes, we even sang, especially at holiday time. Memories we cherish now, were made then.

But it seems we’ve become a society of, “Maybe we can talk later, it’s time for my favorite TV show!” Or, "Can it wait? I’m Facebooking right now.” Or, “I don’t have time for a phone conversation, just text me, okay?”

Time goes by—and one day we realize we’ve lost a whole lot of relatives and friends with whom we rarely talked or spent time. Guilt and sadness prevails for a while, but life goes on and so do we—in the same old manner.

Unfortunately, we tend to fall into the patterns and practices of the day. I once said, “Facebook doesn’t interest me in the least.” But now, my day is not complete unless I check in with my Facebook friends and see if anything noteworthy has been shared. Sometimes, I feel I have something to share, too. Same with Twitter. When did I go from, “It doesn’t interest me,” to “tweeting” every day and having more than 2500 followers?

As for now – right this minute – the sun shines mockingly. I'm still waiting - and more than a little disgruntled. It’s been over two hours; my house is as quiet as a tomb. Technology is so advanced, we shouldn’t have to wait for two hours plus to get our service back when it goes off.

That's asking a lot of someone who's addicted to Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, don't cha' think?                           

www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton