A slightly wispy softy short that i wrote during a hurricane

I’m sitting at my mother’s house, down near New Orleans, taking care of her during Gustav, and I can say it is an experience. Although the storm was only a category 2, which is not really a very powerful hurricane, it did substantial damage to the power grid, causing a majority of people to be without power for the entire time I was here. I am one of the lucky ones to have had a small generator that I brought with me- most folks did not have this luxury. It is quite strange to walk out in the street at night in total darkness and hear only the sound of generators here and there. Gas was of course in short supply with lines at the stations stretching literally a half a mile. What I find interesting is that by the time you get to the pump, you’ve burned a tank of gas. I’m not sure why people need so much gas, but they sure are willing to suffer for it-I guess because they know no other way. Some stores opened on generator power, letting in people in a controlled fashion. There were trucks handing out ice and some other supplies, and people were grateful for this or anything else. When “China Mart” opens, it is going to be a feeding frenzy like piranhas. Most people don’t know what to do if they can’t buy unnecessary plastic objects every few days.

I ran across lots of people here and there, and what I noticed most was the good mood and friendliness- laughing; total strangers discussing where to get things; what they had, and so forth.
When I arrived here, I started connecting a grid of extension cords all over the house for various things that could be powered by my small generator. Like the old show Green Acres, I found that you had to do certain combinations to keep from killing the generator. I became quite skilled at this activity. Microwave is a huge draw, next is the fridge, then the window unit AC (surprisingly), and so on down the line. My mom asked me every few hours if the cable TV was back on, and did I think the paper would run today. I realized that the elderly depend heavily on daily ritual and predictability. Her memory became terrible, which I found out later is not surprising during major changes in their lives.
The humidity was oppressive- any activity outside resulted in soaked clothes. A shower did little to help since once you dried off you immediately begin to sweat again. Without a washing machine, I ran out of clothes rather quickly and learned about not having a fresh set of clothes each morning as we have all become so dependent on. I would pick the “cleanest pair” of clothes each morning.
But here is the most eye opening thing: I was exhausted due to constant chores- re-routing power to this and that; keeping the generator full; figuring out what we could eat; making sure my mom had a fan and so on. Then it occurred to me what the problem was: I was trying to maintain a “normal” way of life. A life in which people have lived in charmed decades where cheap, abundant electricity and gas is assumed. Every hour or two, my mom would say, “If the power would just! come! back! on!” with an exhausted voice. She, like others, is totally dependent on television, kitchen appliances, lights, air conditioning, and so on.

The biggest problem was boredom. We’ve become completely reliant on computers, TV, radio, video games, texting, blackberries, microwaves, electric stoves, and so on. I’m told Japanese teenage girls typically have two cell phones, which they use at the same time. Take all this away and we have nothing to do. You can only work so many jigsaw puzzles
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I asked my mother, now 82 years old, what they did in her early years with no electricity. "Were you bored?"“Heck no!” she answered. Her father worked until sundown, put up the mules and horses, cleaned up, ate a big meal, read a little, and went to bed. Her mother was busy full time preparing foods, tending to the garden, canning vegetables and peaches, and doing all the laundry by hand. She too had little time for boredom. My mother went to school, then did many chores until dark, did homework by the light of a kerosene lamp and went to bed. She told me all these things with a smile, I could tell it was a good time for her, I guess when you went to bed your body let you know your accomplishments of the day. There was no obesity because of the amount of work and healthy meals. Her father ate huge, and I mean huge meals, and was thin and well toned. I realize this is all well known (and boring to most), but I guess it was special for me to hear it firsthand.

Consider the stark comparison to our life today- the suburbanites I know live in 4,000 sq foot houses with 6 bedrooms, the kids live in their rooms and play video games. The house is so big I suspect it is difficult to have a family unit. They are often overweight and have regular health issues, thanks to Papa John’s Pizza, and hot pockets. The parents work and commute long distances, work long hours, and have little time in the evening for relaxing.

I recently read a book about a graduate student that decided to live at a Mennonite community for a year, I believe as a school project. The one part of the book that stuck with me was regarding work vs. free time. The student worked in the fields each day with the other men, who worked slowly and stopped to weave stories and jokes rather often. They usually worked until sundown. The grad student would do calculations and such and night, and one day gathered the men together for a discussion. He laid out a plan that would easily allow them to finish work by noon. “Well, what are we going to do the rest of the day?” they replied. The student was stunned. It quickly became clear that the men do not differentiate between work and pleasure- they make their work their pleasure and thus see “getting off work” as an end to their social day. The men do not work their fields separately- they all work at Jon’s place and then go work at Fred’s, and so on. A great deal of people now see work as something they are forced to do so get off as soon as possible so they can go home and… watch American Idol and eat hot pockets.

I grew up in a family of six in a 1,000 square foot house. We got to know each other pretty well and learned patience and relationship skills.

I find it interesting that it takes a hurricane and a week or so with no power to generate all these thoughts.

I can only imagine the hardship endured by those affected by Katrina. My mother and I are in living in luxury right now in comparison.

“If the power would just come back on…”