Most of us don't really think about how much electricity affects our everyday lives. Sure, it makes the lamp over my shoulder shine onto the laptop I'm typing on, but it's doing a lot more than just that as I sit here. It runs the heater that is pushing away the impending freeze, allowing my roommate to keep her plants alive by bringing them indoors. It provided a charge for my cell phone, so I can see that I missed (another) call from my mother. It keeps the fridge and freezer running so my Miracle Whip and Rocky Road ice cream will still be there for my consumption when I want them (not together though, YIKES). It runs the water heater so I can wash my hands with water hot enough to kill most bacteria, and keeps the microwave clock running so I know how much time I have to finish my homework.
When we're stripped of electricity, even temporarily, we tend to become lost. Even more so in the days of PCs and laptops hooked to the internet 24-7. A friend of mine recently posted a journal entry talking about what she did during an enforced power outage in her small New Zealand town:
As a species, humans can exist without electricity and modern convenience. But after thousands of years of advancement, who would ever want to?
When we're stripped of electricity, even temporarily, we tend to become lost. Even more so in the days of PCs and laptops hooked to the internet 24-7. A friend of mine recently posted a journal entry talking about what she did during an enforced power outage in her small New Zealand town:
We had a five-hour scheduled power-out for line maintenance today - smack in the middle of the day because city council hates people who work from home, clearly. I figured I'd just keep working because well, I'd still have my computer battery and the internet, right? Until I had a duh moment because you need power for the internet :p Kept working for a while anyway, using DICTIONARIES MADE FROM BOOKS. OMG STONE AGE. When my computer battery ran out, I decided I'd use the time to do some laundry.
When I realised that I am a moron and you need power for that, I decided to do some vacuuming instead.
*bagplants*The continuous cycle of bemused frustration displayed by the author is one that nearly any modern person in the Western world can empathize with. Even temporarily, when we are left without electricity it can be immensely disconcerting, and we are forced into activities we might otherwise relish (such as reading a book or going for a walk). On the occasions I can remember being without electricity (which are thankfully few and far between), I recall being bored to tears with my book and jonesing for television like a junkie going through withdrawal.
As a species, humans can exist without electricity and modern convenience. But after thousands of years of advancement, who would ever want to?
