Spiritual Business

Power down and power up

On Tuesday, my house was plunged into Old Pennsylvania Amish town when the power went off for five hours. I couldn't leave the house as I was waiting for the Captain Electricity to come and power us up again, so I was forced to do something that didn't require power.

I started with folding the laundry that was reaching Jack and the Beanstalk heights. Then I moved onto tackling my office. Manuscripts and edits for my new book were everywhere.  Papers, which I am loathe to piff until I absolutely, positively know I shall not need them again.

It was a pleasant time, tempered with the Pisces Son, who said,"Well if the television won't work then I will play the Wii. If the Wii won't work then I will use the computer." He struggled to understand the concept of power and what else he could do beside sit and watch and press buttons.

 The Scorpio daughter threw herself around like Paris Hilton at a nightclub opening. "Why is there no power? I'm cold? I'm going back to bed." (Exit stage right, sound of door slamming)

Me? I like adventures. Sure I was cold, (No heating), so put another jumper on. I made french toast on the gas stove for lunch. Heat up water on the stove for cup of tea. Trés pioneer.

Pottering was the only thing to do and I enjoyed it. Electricity makes us lazy. Don't get me wrong. I'm not some renounciate who believes in heading back to the washboard and wringer but I think we need to turn off sometimes and do things that requires our personal power, not electricity.

Boredom is powerful. From boredom, comes imagination. I like it when my kids say they are bored. Sometimes I turn the TV off just to shit them. Turn it off and do something that propels you forward, I say.

I hate to be that person who writes, 'when I was a kid.' But seriously, when I was a kid, I was raised on one TV channel at night and a backyard. My imagination knows no boundaries, my best friend and I would play dressups and create a glamourous imaginary world which has proven hard to leave as an adult.

Powerdown Tuesday was good in hindsight. It taught me to turn it off to turn me up.

The kids found things to do; reading books, cleaning up makeup, making a nest of bedclothes on the couch, talking to each other. It was blissful in some ways and then the power came back on and the moment was lost but not forgotten.

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