Recharging After the Storm
7/2/2012
My husband always teases me about needing to be by the tv during our big snow storms. I have the need to see what is going on, listen to every reporter tell us about the lines at the grocery store, the slush along the road and what schools are closed.
Enter June 29, 2012. Who would have thought the need for storm central would be so, well, central? Of course, I had heard rumblings of it on WTOP, my "up to the date news station with traffic and weather on the 8's", but what flew by here was not what any of us had expected.
I was am truly grateful that I was one of the few that didn't lose power. I didn't realize the extent of the storm until I was driving around the next morning, talking to people and seeing the many trees down in my neighborhood.
I was reminded of the beauty of community as we went through the weekend. Of course, this kind of community comes with the age of the internet. Although many of us were without cell service, internet and electricity, there was enough of it bleeping in and out to create connections and let the locals know who did and who didn't have power.
Saturday afternoon, I had my first visitor. One would assume that with the record high heat, the friend would be looking for some cool air and maybe a cold drink. WRONG. I drove up to my house to see this dear friend sitting on my front stoop charging his phone and iPod from my outside outlet. Hello?
Sunday, we had a full house. Three different families, by this point having had two nights of very hot sleeping conditions, came by looking for relief from the heat, and, you guessed it, plugs. They all had to charge their phones, laptops, iPads etc. We joked that we would be charging them by the kilowatt.
What started as a relief from the heat, and the need to "recharge" turned into a lovely and bonding afternoon. We ate a lot of popcorn, watched the Eurocup Finals (a real live Spaniard and soccer fan in the crew) and had a great spontaneous afternoon, one in which we could "recharge" our friendships and relationships while our iPhones had a charging of their own.
How did you fare the storm?