Yesterday, there was a five-hour-long power outage on my street. Usually, they warn us about these things over text messages, and it rarely lasts more than an hour. The last repair only cut off power for two minutes – I barely even noticed it.
Yesterday was different, and I felt that difference.
When failure of technology renders you out of reach, the first thing you might feel is a ping of anxiety. What if something happens? You won’t be able to call for help. Others won’t be able to contact you. It’s almost as if we had forgotten the simple times before everyone had their smartphone glued to their hand. The current way of life demands you to always be ‘available’.
I, too, thought about all that when the power went out (and I hadn’t even finished my laundry that morning!). And I thought about it even more when, four hours in, my phone battery died and I was completely and utterly out of reach.
It was truly a bizarre feeling.
I don’t usually do those trendy ‘digital detox’ days, even though I promise myself to try it. I really am that person with the phone glued to my hand. And for a good reason – I’m usually waiting for delivery and they rarely have respect for estimated delivery hours and their GPS doesn’t work, so I have to instruct the driver over the phone, “Go all the way down the street and make a turn when you see a tall fir tree. Do you see the yellow house? That’s the neighbours. My house is right next to it. It’s old and doesn’t look lived in, but there’s a nice big garden right in front of it. Do you see the sunflowers blooming? Yup, that’s the place.”
Yesterday, while I was out of reach, literally the second my phone died, I got a phone call from the furniture shop regarding delivery details. They couldn’t fill up the truck, so I’m waiting for another call.
Then it was silence.
What did I do during my quiet hours?
I tried reading a few books on my Kindle and another one on my phone (while it was still working). I ended up reading quite a few chapters of ACOMAF and enjoying it.
I wrote in my journal.
I found my missing Parker fountain pen! It was tucked inside a notebook, of course.
I started writing a novella with my beloved Parker pen.
I found my blotting paper and stuffed it in all the notebooks where I use fountain pens.
I considered sewing, but then I remembered that my sewing machine also requires electricity. It can be operated manually, but pressing the foot pedal is an important part of the process.
I didn’t do any house or garden work because my water pump also requires electricity, and I refuse to do any work unless I can wash my hands ten times in the process.
What I can do the next time there’s no power in the house:
- draw something, as long as it’s not with paints (hand washing!)
- hand sewing (I have a hand-held sewing machine that operates with batteries and also lots of sewing needles)
- embroidery
- sit in the garden and enjoy my flowers, if the weather permits
- cook something not messy
- reorganise the house
- listen to the radio (if the battery is charged)
- take a nap
- daydream
- play chess with myself (note to self: ask mum to bring me my chess set the next time she visits)
- play ukulele (this one my mother did bring me, and it doesn’t even need to be restringed!)
- do a crossword puzzle or a sudoku (note to self: buy more puzzle books)
- knit or crochet
- visit my neighbour (proceed with caution, unless I want to return home with two buckets of cherries)
What do you like to do when the power is out or you don’t have your phone with you?
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