The power went out today, which isn’t that surprising during the winter. Well, power outages can happen anytime, but I seem to run into them most during the winter. What with slick roads, heavy snowfall, and sometimes high winds. However today, all the power in Cheney went out. It wasn’t just a block, but the entire town. Well, okay, in some places it would go out then come back on, but that still says outage to me. Or so I am told by people who live off campus. My theory, of course, is that the grid had to be shut down, or even better an Iron Giant decided to make a meal out of the power plant. How cool would that be, the actual Iron Giant coming to Cheney. I wonder if he would be friends with me.
Anyway, as I was sitting in my dorm, covered in blankets and possibly looking like the invalid I sometimes aspire to be. The power went out. But it didn’t do the clicking sound that I am generally used to, but the whole ‘WHOooooooo….’ sound that you hear in Sci Fi movies. You know the ones where they are on a spaceship and the flesh-eating alien has gotten free and turned off the power. It obviously made my mind race with possibilities. Creative scenarios played out in my head, from the Doctor appearing to pirates coming forward in time and destroying the squeaky clean image that I have of them. So, waiting for these things to happen, I sat in bed imitating the sound.
However, thoughts started to strike my mind like flies hitting a window. What are the computer classes doing? What will I do at work? And for all that is writerly, how can I spin this to make an interesting blog?
Since classes were still in session, the power being out probably set them back in whatever material they were teaching. However, the obvious answer would be letting the students out if the power didn’t return in the next ten minutes, or continue to talk. Using the primitive white board to illustrate their points for whatever their lecture was about.
Work was also easy. I didn’t think that the power would be out long, and before the actual working comes around, we have a meeting. The meeting lasts between an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how focused we are. Plus, one of the layouts was done so we could look it over and make it so perfect it sparkles. Sparkles so brightly, that every other newspaper will pale in comparison. We would win so many awards, just for that one page. However, it was an unfinished page, so we weren’t able to make it as shiny as possible.
And finally, I found my answer to the interesting blog. My observations that sent me into this blog in the first place. Don’t worry the beginning full of fluff is relevant, long introduction. But I digress. (Digress is such an ugly word and i hate using it. Time to consult a thesaurus and find a better, cooler word.)
I couldn’t help looking at the dead computers, while munching on various chocolate hearts. They were so alone and decrepit. Sitting there, completely cold and alone. The promise of entering the Internet, gone, until electricity could pulse through its circuitry. It was a sad sight. I couldn’t help imposing cobwebs, debris, and crumbling walls decorating the lonesome computers. The apocalypse prominent in my brain, whispering for me to write a scene about it. Wishing for it to be known. To be loved, and brought back to life. Oh how my soul went out to it, wondering how those millions of cute cats, awkward men and women, and information will fare when the internet is forced to be silent. Lack of power, the human race reduced to savages or at least reverting to the days of libraries and dusty books. Personally, I would be all right if the Internet went down. I would be sad, but I would have so much more time on my hands. I would actually have the drive to finish that book, and start the next one in my mind. Who wouldn’t be like that? But like any one who has felt the taste of fruit on a band trip, they will never be able to go back. I will always need the Internet and computers, perpetually being connected to the majority of humanity.
Do we all come to this realization? That we are slowly becoming more electronic and dependent as the days go by? Will we ever revert?
No.
Rough Draft 