GLAMPING

October 14, 2019

We recently had an electrical outage that lasted 2 days. Because I am not a fan of camping, I can only compare it to “glamping,” or glamorous camping. We had most of the comforts of home: our own bed; running water; a gas stove. We could use nothing that ran on electricity and had to use battery powered items sparingly in case the outage lasted longer than expected. The freezer was not opened at all and the refrigerator was opened as little as possible. We had to choose what we could do and when we could do it based on natural light. Several of our neighbors had generators and offered their resources. Because of the short duration of the outage, we were fine on our own. We were amazed at how many things we found to do that didn’t require electricity. We were also amazed at how we automatically went to flip switches and turn things on. When the electricity did come on, the garbage disposal was the first sound to greet us.

I think I was emotionally prepared for two reasons. First, this outage was announced in advance, although its duration was questionable. Second, I had read the series by author Terri Blackstock that starts with the book “Last Light”. This fictional story walks a modern community through 3 years without electrical power.

This experience prompts me to suggest a family discussion and perhaps a “glamping” experience. How would your lives change if you had no electricity, no phone, no transportation? If nothing else, this would be a good time to count your blessings!