Trending
There is something very humbling about losing one's power. People in lofty positions in business or politics know what I mean for sure. But what about the loss of the power that turns on the heat and lights in our homes?
Coming home the day after Christmas following time with family, we were met with the fact that our power had just gone out and it would be about six hours before it would be restored. The temperature outside was 18 degrees and falling.
That wind that made us hold our breath for fear of power outages days earlier was still blowing briskly as we entered our dark house. It was an unsettling feeling to say the least as our holiday and travel weary bodies now faced the task of doing what was necessary to at least keep the heat on.
We learned long ago that living in rural Ohio County sometimes included downed trees that pulled electric lines with them resulting in power outages. So like many around us, we made use of gasoline-powered generators to ease the situation until complete restoration was made by the power company heroes.
We could hear the neighbor's generator already at work. Then my husband and a wonderful friend began the arduous task of running extension cords and firing up the noisy machine that would relieve the chill on the house once attached to the furnace. And soon there was heat and the ability to plug in one light. No need for candles for now. It still felt a bit like we were living the life of The Little House on the Prairie folks.
It's amazing how much we take for granted in our daily lives and electricity being at the top of the list. Each room I entered I automatically reached for the light switch out of habit. Of course that was futile, and I had to laugh at myself.
Since the power company restoration outlook suggested it could be midnight before the power returned, I figured I would wait it out the best way I knew how. So I grabbed a book I had recently started and utilized my battery-powered book light to illuminate the pages. It was actually a nice respite from the previous couple of days of hustle and bustle.
As I sat reading for a while, the lights blinked on and off briefly. That wasn't very reassuring, but not long after that, the power was fully restored. And the restoration effort took a lot less time than the power company had predicted. Thanks to all those who gave us back our power.
It's ironic, though, that portable or even stationary generators require a source of energy that folks outside the Ohio Valley are trying to destroy. Without gasoline, natural gas or propane, no one would have the ability to run generators to fill in the blanks during power outages. I thought about all those piles of coal at the mine we passed on the way home and the barges on the river filled with coal that produce the electricity to our homes and businesses.
I thought about the thousands of coal miners whose brave work under this God-given earth made that coal and electricity possible. As I sit in my warm house with lights that work at the flip of a switch, I am truly grateful for all of those men and women whose work provides us with warmth and less fear of the dark. Have a safe, warm and brightly lit New Year.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.