Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
The Power Outage Tales
I use this Blog to tell stories, be funny, be interesting, and put good content out into the world. Sometimes, however, I’m gonna use this to whine and complain. After all, we all know what B-L-O-G stands for, right?
- B ig
- L ist
- O f
- G rievances
I’m gonna complain about another power outage. I made a Lenten promise to Blog every day during Lent and then what happens? 5 out of the first 12 days of Lent I’ve been without electricity which, well, I’m just gonna say it and make excuses …it was difficult to Blog without power.
Yes. I could’ve Blogged from my phone. Yes, I could’ve Blogged at work. But I didn’t. I have a nice computer and a writing desk and that’s where I do my writing and Blogging. Without power and without Internet, I simply didn’t Blog.
This doesn’t mean I’m quitting or saying, “oh, I’ll try this again next year.” No sir. I’m going to pick right up and maybe I’ll double up on Blogs a few days and get my full compliment of 40 Blogs in 40 days and nights of Lent.
It would be ideal if we all were able to do everything we say we’re going to do and never waiver, but that’s not reality. Everyone stumbles. Ask anyone who ever tried to quit smoking. Quit drinking. Exercise daily and lose weight? It’s never about perfection …but progress.
2023 is my year-of-writing and creativity and a little power failure and a few missed days won’t stop me.
Now, allow me to complain. Losing power and having multiple days without power, in the middle of winter …sucks. Ya know what else sucks? When the snow is so wet and heavy that a large tree limb falls and rips your gutter away from your house. Worse than that, how about your wife and daughter are driving and a giant snow missile falls from a tree and smashes their windshield? It was a crappy weekend …living by flashlight and candlelight. Sleeping in a house that’s below 40-degrees. But we made the best of it. That’s all you can do.
The kids played chess by flashlight. I read half of a book in 72 hours (I’m a slow reader, so applaud that). We saw friends and family as we took freezer-stuff to their freezers and accepted their offer to take a hot shower at their homes.
I shouldn’t complain. This stuff happens. Worse things happen. And my windshield can be fixed. My spoiled food can be replaced. And while cleaning up all the fallen limbs and branches is alotta work, who am I kidding …because I love my outdoor fire pit so much, I’m happy to have all this wood and kindling.
I’m sure sometimes I annoy other people because I try to be Donnie Sunshine all the time, but the older I get, the more I appreciate (or try, at least) to have perspective and practice grace. I could lose power, complain about DTE Energy, shake my fist at the night sky about “the grid” and “infrastructure” and rail against politicians and giant corporations who put band-aids on things rather than proactively update “the grid.” I could gripe about how G-D cold my house was and how I didn’t get all the things done this weekend I had planned. I could act like a victim and walk around with a poor-me attitude. Instead, I can honestly say I’m lucky nobody in my family was hurt, I have a house that keeps me safe and warm and 50 degrees with blankets and layers wasn’t so bad, and it all passed (“this too shall pass”).
So I’ll choose to say the power outage was a massive inconvenience, but I made the best of it and life goes on. Oh, and I experienced snowthunder and watched my grown teenage kids laugh and play chess by candlelight.
I could also say “F’ it” and because I haven’t done 12 days of Lenten daily-exercise and 12 straight days of Lenten writing that, well, I failed and forget it. Just another failed and broken promise to myself. I refuse to beat myself up. Instead, with this Blog entry and proof, I’m just gonna pick myself up and keep going. What if my Lenten promise …or my New Year’s Resolutions …or any other habit I’m trying to break or start was a matter of life or death? Should I give up? Of course not.
Work hard every day. Never give up. Forgive yourself for mistakes. Take a deep breath. Count your blessings. And if the worst thing that happens to me this year is 5-days without electricity, a broken windshield, and the need to spend 3-4 hours cleaning up downed tree limbs … things could be ALOT worse.
Remember that. And remind me when I forget.
Don Kowalewski 