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When the Lights Go Out in My City

I am grateful for the unplanned stillness.

November 3, 2024 by Divina Grey Leave a Comment

What words come to mind when you think of a lengthy power outage in your neighborhood?

I am currently sitting in the dark in my living room while the kids run rampantly outside from wifi withdrawal, and the following words come to mind:

Reboot, recharge, silence, darkness, stillness, boredom, creativity, rechargeable battery, acoustic guitar, pen, paper, spoiled groceries, and gratitude.

Today is Monday, and we all know how manic those can be.

Today marks the start of a weekly grind, and the temperature is back in the triple digits. With errands to run, bills to pay, kids to feed, laundry to wash, and a heavy understanding of what they mean by “shark week,” the pressure cooker is undoubtedly on its highest setting.

But I digress.

I had many plans for tonight. For instance, I had the washer washing, the dryer drying, and my next chore was to load the dishwasher to the sound of the air conditioner going cha-ching!

Did I trip the breaker at my apartment complex?

As we all know (very well) by now, things don’t go as planned. I have a half-dried load of clothes in the dryer, a half-washed load in the washer, and a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, and my kids are doing their homework by candlelight as we causally talk about the most memorable years of Halloween.

It’s so dark in my house. If it weren’t for my bright phone screen, I wouldn’t be able to see my hand in front of me. (I totally tested it)

In these moments, I welcome the unplanned silence and much-needed break because we could all use a power outage now and then.

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This post was previously published on Divina’s Release.

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Photo credit: iStock

About Divina Grey

Divina Grey is a ferocious woman and mother rebuilding her life one article at a time. She likes ten-mile bike rides, singing and playing her guitar, an invigorating workout, and a cup of coffee so decadent she can feel the frothiness in her bones. She has stockpiled a collection of journals in an elegant wooden chest and is oozing with gratitude for the chance to share her staggering long-time love of writing with the world.