On Sept. 14th an unprecedented wind storm here in the Kentuckiana area courtesy of Hurricane Ike had 300,000 homes without power. We experienced 75 mph winds that took down countless trees, signs, and power lines and left many without electricity; some for a week or more.
My family was among the lucky ones: we lost power for only half a day. The vast majority in my neighborhood spent a week in the dark. Kids were out of school, and my wife and I missed a couple of days of work due to the outage.
As of this writing I know friends who are still without power. I recognize how frustrating, trying, and taxing this must be. I’m more than certain I’d be going more than a little crazy.
But, during the time when those in my neighborhood were without power, I saw families venture out and do some things that we probably should have been doing all along. The forced respite from tv, computers, and stereos sent us outside to meet and help neighbors. People sat on porches and talked while children played together. Many in our neighborhood re-discovered the nearby park, and the joy of going out and playing with our children.
The lack of power in my neighborhood revealed a power of another kind: the power found in community and relationships.
It kind of felt like how things were when I was a kid.
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