Life By Kristen

Passing Time

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the fact that tomorrow is November. It really does seem like the days go by so quickly all of a sudden. I’m not sure how or why that happens- maybe it’s age, maybe it’s being busy, or perhaps just that we’re all so wrapped up in the world of the internet, instant gratification, and always thinking about what’s next. As they say, the days are long, but the years are short.

My day seemed rather long- well really my afternoon- on Monday during Hurricane Sandy. Up in MA/RI we were just on the edge of the storm and did not get a direct hit, but it was definitely fierce. My power went out around 2pm when my neighbor’s tree fell on a transformer. The afternoon and time without power seemed to be SO LONG- even though it was only three hours. Being home alone during a storm with a lot of quiet- even if in the middle of the day- was quite unnerving. I found myself getting scared at the smallest noises- I can only imagine how I would have been at night if the power had been out then. Of course, I was totally psyching myself out. The noises were freaking me out so much I couldn’t even keep my attention on the book I was reading. I’m glad I had batteries for my small transistor radio because otherwise the quiet and eerie noises from the fierce wind probably would have made me a crying scaredy cat mess. After at least two dozen crossword puzzles and word searches, I went to my parents for electricity and dinner- I returned to light and resumed my DVD watching marathon. After seeing the devastating photos and hearing stories from friends in NY and NJ, I’m so thankful I only lost some tree limbs and had minor leaks in my sunroom.

The other sort of ironic thing about the afternoon without power was that while I was totally prepared with things to do in the event of losing electricity, I still felt so out of touch and uncomfortable not knowing what was going on.   I guess it was because my disconnect from the world was not my choice is why I felt uneasy- other times I choose no technology for a weekend or a few days, it is something I want to to do, not am forced to do. I felt so restless and uneasy until I went to my parents house mostly I think because I was getting concerned about a night in the dark and partly because I was just my own worst enemy alone with my thoughts & freaking out over ever single noise. It’s the first time- ever really- that I felt so uneasy being by myself in my house.