a loss of power
May 26, 2007 by Chris | permalink
what would you do if the power went out and you had no idea when it would come back? an increasingly familiar state of affairs for many around the world already. and guarenteed to become more common as large power companies continue to protect their long-vested interests against far more redundant and logical distributed power generation.
i arrived at my hotel [ the Fairlawns in Johnesburg, SA] after a journey made slightly arduous by all the traffic lights being out along the road. a large cadelabra and smiling faces [albeit slightly strained] greeted me. they were wonderful. the entire property was candlelit. from the rooms to the bar and dining room. it was amazingly beautiful. we all cheered when the lights blinked on momentarily. the 'batle' had been won....but not really. when the electrons flowed about an hour later time, the noises of our modern daily life returned. no one cheered. i suppose that all to often we neglect to remember the things that we have lost as we have 'progressed'. don't get me wrong, i love my expresso machine. but i also loved the flickering candlelit hotel and the surrounding quiet.
