What a storm that was! Forceful winds whipping and plastering heavy, wet snow and ice to the trees, burdening them to crashing to the ground atop buses and cars demolishing them and pulling down power lines leaving devastation in their wake. Being left without power for days on end without an end in sight creates a situation with many different feelings. The first is one of being out of control and naively thinking it will end quickly. Then reality sets in and there is a brief period of frustration, anger and sadness. Hopelessness that we will live like this forever: cold to the bone, dark early in the day, with none of the usual media outlets that kept me so preoccupied and distracted all the days of my life, it seems. And then, acceptance. Here is the situation – force majeure – and nothing to be done about it. What seemed like an uncontrollable and unbearable situation becomes day to day life. I start to realize that there are things that I can do to make life more bearable again. Purchase a kerosene space heater that will take the chill out of the air; reach up for the coffee press pitcher so that we can have coffee in the morning; fill a hot water bottle to put under the cats’ bed clothes, so they can feel comfortable and warm, and then take it to bed so that sleep becomes peaceful and bearable again; discover that there are other ways to reach media: library, iPhone, a visit to friends, reading before the dark sets in; and most importantly developing relationships and connections, discovering a community of people who are going through similar experiences, and hearing from an extraordinary number of supportive others, who offer us their homes, showers, food – whatever we might need.
There are many moments of gratitude that our fate could have been so much worse but isn’t. For example, we have a gas water heater, so we can have a hot shower each day. Plus, our stove top is gas, so we can boil water and cook food. It is cold enough that even though the fridge is out, the food doesn’t spoil as fast. We have the means to purchase a kerosene heater at all. We have blankets and plenty of winter clothing to keep us warm. Each day, I reflect on all the many, many people out there in the world who have lost their homes, who constantly live out in the cold and are not even sure where their next meal is coming from. What about all those refugees running for their lives, living in terror each second from murderous bombings, plundering and homelessness? Our lot is really only one of inconvenience and discomfort that will certainly end if not in the next couple of days, at least by the next week.
Before we know it, we will be back to being distracted by all the comforts and our millions of media outlets. I only hope that when that happens and we return to our former lives, we don’t forget this experience and what we have been through. I want to hold onto feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the support of all our friends in the community. I want to remember how much I cared for our cats with love and tenderness. I especially want to hold onto the feeling of strength and resourcefulness when I realized that there were things I could do to make our lives bearable again – different and disorienting, yes – but bearable even, at times, to the point of joy.
Last year at Mining Nuggets: Openings
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