…. and then the lights went out

               These days that we must stay home in lockdown haven't been easy for me or for anybody, I imagine. People are complaining that there are too many tasks they have to undertake:  being parents, being teachers, being cleaning people, being cooks, trying just to hang in there and be sane.

               Every morning I get up get dressed as if I were going to work (which eventually end up doing online) have my breakfast, watch a little bit of the news and check out the social media that I missed the night before. I have been trying out new dishes using whatever I have in my cupboards for that. Being a vegetarian isn't very easy because you run out of the fresh products faster than anything else, so I did call my local grocer and have them deliver some produce. I took all the necessary precautions that one should during this period to stay safe. I have to confess here that I am scared.

               However, yesterday was Sunday, which is a day that I usually get together with a family so that I can find energy to face the week ahead. Some people say that the week begins on Sunday and others that it just starts on Monday. I, myself, think the week begins on Sunday and what a better way to start the week than with the family. So, yesterday (Sunday), my youngest sister called a meeting online. It was not bad, but when everybody tries to talk at the same time you can't make out what they are saying. A bit confusing when there is a four-year-old in the chat. Nonetheless, it's just so much joy to see the four-year-old through video chat. The chat did not last long and soon enough we said our goodbyes and hung up.

               In my neighborhood the sky was coming down. A really horrible rainstorm. There was water coming in everywhere I had to run and close all the windows and make sure that my towels were in place just in case the leaks started up. (Yes, leaks! You can read about it in a story entitled: And the year started off with a bang). At the same time that the sky was coming down here in my neighborhood, it was bright and sunny where my family was which is about a 20- minute drive from my place.

               All of a sudden, I heard a loud explosion and the TV went off, not really the TV, it was just the cable connection and there was a message saying that unfortunately the surface had been interrupted. I checked my cell phone and the Internet was down. I got up from where I was sitting and walked around the rest of the apartment to check what was going on. The funny thing was that one socket in my bathroom was working and where the TV was connected was working, however, the rest of the apartment was dead.

               I am not very good with electrical issues, so I called the doorman to see if there was really a problem in the building or whether it was just here in my apartment. He informed me that the whole neighborhood was in the dark. I didn't go into details about what was happening here, about the two sockets working.  I decided to go to my room turn on a lamp that works on batteries and read.

               At the same time that I was reading, I started thinking, like, ‘ Here I am safe at home but no TV , no family, no friends, at least I have two sockets that are working and I can recharge my phone as I sit here and read’. You know I felt pretty blessed to have that lamp and to be able to recharge my phone (the battery was down to 10%). I always think it's funny that the phone is always on low battery when you need it the most. The lights came back around 8:00 PM. I was so drawn into my book that all I did was keep on reading.

               At first, the thought of how horrible to be in this situation with no electricity came to mind, but then I started to relax and make the most out of the situation. It made me think about people who are out in the streets and have nowhere to shelter or other necessities that a human being should have. It also made me think of the fact that I don't need all the things that I have and probably it was a sign that instead of depending on TV, social media, Internet, etc. I should make better use of my day. Or in the end, it was just preparing me for Monday.

Life has changed and it is up to me to adapt to the changes.

               Note: This Monday morning, my computer has decided to act on its own and switched the control of the camera off. Out of the blue, I could see my students and they could see me, but now I can't see them, and they can't see me. The good thing of all of this is I am calm; whereas, at other times I would probably just be freaking out. The lesson here ( for me ) is that we have no control over our lives. On second thought, my theory is that machines simply have a mind of their own. LOL.

               Note 2: Well, you might be wondering what happened in the neighborhood. It just so happens that the power gadget that's on the lamp post in front of one of our garage entrances exploded and caught fire. The power company had to come and fix it and a firetruck came over to put out the fire ( a tree caught on fire too). It could have been struck by lightning or just an overload. I'm just glad that most people are home and they were able to get here fast to resolve the situation.

Written: March 30, 2020 (between a class or two)

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