No Power

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Jeff Muir

This was originally written during the big storm we experienced at the end of March 2017. Finally decided to post it here.

There is no power in the house. The only remnants of electricity are in devices based on batteries (mobile devices and laptops). We have become very dependent on having electricity. Things are very different from 100 years ago.

There is still a large portion of the world population surviving without electricity. They survive just fine. People find a way to exist without technology. Why is this not true for us?

The answers are not that hard to find. We depend on our phones to stay connected. We rely on our screens to be entertained and informed. We look for meaning and reach our opinions. We can select our social circles. We are no longer limited to those people around us. More importantly, we can sacrifice the real world for the world of our choosing. When this is taken away, we are forced back into older roles.

Personally, I have noticed, the lack of technology makes me tired. When there is nothing to do, things slow down. I no longer feel alert, and cannot justify staying awake. In a way, this is the natural order of things. When it is night, we are meant to sleep. In part, this is due to a lack of things to do. A farmer or rancher uses daylight in the way it has been done since people first started agriculture. They are up at dawn and down at dusk. In the past, there were no artificial lights and no electronics to keep things going. Night was a time for rest and dreams. Sleep is a time to clear the mind of the worries of the day. It is time to process the memories of the day.

We become a lot more philosophical when we are given time to think. Busy hands make it hard to have idle thoughts. A distracted mind is more likely to be confused and fearful. Fires rage during the day and plague our minds at night. Escapism helps, but does not cure the core problems. In order to think clearly and simply, it helps to silence the noises first. The loudest noises are caused by thoughts of the person thinking them.

After some time, it becomes much easier to have creative and original thought. It is far easier to succumb to absorbing the thoughts of others. It is so easy to let other distracted minds think for us. It is refreshing to have your own path. However, it also means that you risk being alone. If it is important to be accepted, it is also important to act and think like others.

The strange thing is that when you are willing to stand on your own, you are much more likely to be happy and at peace.

As I write this, the rain has been coming in waves. The power is still out. However, we live in the world of powered devices. An iPad with a battery becomes an island of expression.

It is far easier to completely miss the point of life. Being an observer is not the same thing as a participant. Very little value comes from observation UNLESS the observer is actually learning something relevant. Some people live their lives like a soap opera. Nothing is okay unless everything is chaos and trouble. I suppose they prefer that. It is hard to judge the purposes of everyone’s life. The main point is that the purpose of your life goes beyond what you have allowed it to be. It is hard to accept the future without injecting what you think it should be filled with. It takes great courage to let it be written beyond your current experience.

Finding your own purpose is part of the fun. Your path is largely unknown. New twists exist beyond the next turn. Foresight is only necessary for those that fear what is there. Knowing too much about the future is not healthy for the unfolding of your life. Not knowing the next step is key to being happy with your destiny.

The natural aspect of surprise allows you to open your eyes much wider.