The Switch
It's late at night. The air is still. The street is quiet. A flickering light dances in the windows of homes, as their tired occupants tune into their window on the world. The drone of street lamps blends into the harmony of distant car horns and city night chatter. A typical night until...
BLACKOUT. The power's off. Tall office buildings no longer cast their rays to the streets below, as the full moon regains centre-stage. An unfamiliar silence surrounds, one devoid of static and hum.
But where are you in this scene? At which intersection might you find yourself? Do you wind down your evenings alone or perhaps elsewhere with friends. Inside or out? Does the thought of darkness strike fear in your soul? Or does the darkness ignite visions of escape and adventure. Is the darkness a disruption ...or an opportunity?
The "blackout of 2003" lacked in this sort of melodrama, as it was a hot mid-August afternoon. With daylight broad, one might not notice the absence of charge, that is until they came upon an intersection. Yet in this setting of chaos and commotion, the most amazing, yet mundane, stories shine. We see the spark in the eye of a interviewee as they retell and refine their stories of communal resilience - creating a new mythology for modern times. Yet, a century prior, these tales of service and sacrifice would not have been news at all, but rather, the expected response.
Is there longing that lurks in the hearts of us all, to be rescued from this evolved dystopia? Do we long to be "Lost" or marooned on "Gillian's Island" so we too can tame the wilderness and soothe our tribal longings? Do we suffocate the human spirit when we remove the daily toil from the labour that brings us sustenance and life - making our days more ordinary?
Electricity is the currency that sustains our modern age. And granted, science and technology, have vastly improved the quality of life for many. But at what point do we have too much of a good thing? Trivializing our daily tasks, sends us off looking for new adventures. Is running on a treadmill better than that just walking more and driving less? Can time with good company be better spent without the distractions of modern media? Would a slow home-prepared meal be a better setting to encourage relationships with one another?
When the 2003 Blackout was over, I felt a tinge of loss. My 24 hour adventure with candles, conversation and a gas BBQ were over. But one thing is true. I have the power to flip the switch whenever I want and return to a life less ordinary.
