The Power of Having the Power Go Out
We would have washed the dishes if we knew everything was about to fall apart.
The wind was intense, rather than spend the evening cleaning, we opted to watch a movie. Friday night had forced our whole family to stay home. A report of a boy who had been killed in a nearby town by a fallen tree, made me force all my children into being in one room with us. We ate left-overs and cooked separate dishes for each kid. My two teenagers sat on either side of me and my toddler son was on my lap. All present and accounted for, we watched a movie as a family. All three of my babies, all paused in one place. I realized the three humans we’d made were all their own people now. But tonight, they were ours.
First thing in the morning, we realized the power had gone out.
We were late to the party in terms of understanding the severity of the storm. We hadn’t gone grocery shopping and we had no idea where the flashlights were. I think we had some candles in a drawer. Given our lack of preparedness, I was grateful to be in Peekskill.
Peekskill isn’t like most places and that’s why I chose to live here. In the town along the Hudson, where the views can occasionally take your breath away . Peekskill, where downtown plays the underdog and slowly improves itself everyday. We are a mix of beauty and grit. The people are no different. We have great friends here who are as complicated as they are kind. For all these reasons, if the world does fall apart one day, there is no place I’d rather watch it all go down from.
Here, we help each other.
Since only half the town was dark, we were offered lots of places to stay until our lights went back on. This flood of offers weren’t just moments of politeness, they were real and true. Firewood was shared. French press coffee was made. While later in the evening, wine was opened.
To pass the time during the day, we stayed on the move from warm place to warm place. We drove by trees we took for granted that had been struck down by the wind. We followed detours along roads we had not driven, since our usual routes were hampered by down power lines. It was just like any day and yet, like no other.
We did end up eating out for every meal. Each restaurant we visited was more packed than the next. Apart from the occasional impatient patron, most of us waiting were polite to everyone involved. Servers ran at a swifter pace, the food that came out tasted more delicious than usual, and phones (normally used as frequently as our forks) found their way off to the side of the table because we needed to conserve their charge.
The most beautiful part in the aftermath of the terrible storm, seeing clearly for the first time in a long time, how much I had been taking for granted all I had. I had this family and the house, these friends and this neighborhood.
I race through my life. I live on a laptop and clutch my cell phone more than my pearls. Being forced to be without all these little electronic things, was the blackout I needed to see the light.
The kids come first, so we made sure each of them had a safe place to stay with either power or friends. We hit Home Depot (because frankly, the day seemed to require it). We got those flashlights for our heads so we could see and pretend to be miners (You have to throw some fun in there). When we returned to Elm Street you could hear the buzz of generators and see the flicker of candle light in the windows along our path.
My husband and I ended up alone in our home. The fireplace we’ve loved since we landed our house, kept the living room warm enough. We slept on the couch, we later purchased as it fit our family of five. But tonight, it was just him and I. In the firelight, we talked about things that we should have sorted out ages ago. We kissed like we had forgotten we knew how. We slept as deeply and peacefully as we had not done in years.
When I woke up, the kitchen light was on. While my husband sleeps, I’m going to go finish those dishes. Newly inspired, I’m pretty sure I can get most of the house clean today, this beautiful home I’d been neglecting. I’ll go to the grocery store and when the kids get home, I think I can manage three home-cooked meals. Tonight, the Oscars are on, so maybe I can even trick the whole clan into spending time together again.
Sunday morning and all is back to normal. Within 24 hours, the novelty of no power had worn off us all.
Yet, the lessons of this day will stay with me. I need to slow down, look at how lucky I am to be here, put my phone down maybe even spend more time one on one with my husband and hold my kids a little tighter. I need to remember I have a home that I love, and figure out the rest from there.