A Humbling Experience in the Age of Progress

Following a 25-year tradition, the second Sunday of the New Year, a group of 25 to 35 people were invited to our home for lunch. In getting ready for guests there is the usual tasks of readying the house, preparation of food, and table arrangements. I had budgeted my time for each task, planning to have everything done ahead of time this year.

On Saturday afternoon the lights went out! The wind was blowing, but it often blows; we had not realized that this wind was different. The power was off until 5 o’clock Sunday evening. My famous baked beans were on the menu, I had prepared five pounds and put them to soaking. I could not make the Jello salad or the bread, as the refrigerator was off. There was no way of knowing how long the power would be off, as we could not get City Hall for information. When it began to get dark we brought out our candles, flashlights, and kerosene lamp. How little light a kerosene lamp gives!

It is humbling to realize how dependent we are on electric power: we could not use the TV or radio to find what was happening. The house was so cold; the furnace is connected to power. It was cold in bed--adding extra blankets did not make up for the loss of the electric blanket.

It was necessary to do some last-minute shopping, but the garage electric door opener precluded that. The electric range stood cold and useless without power.

We had prepared our cupboard for a famine, but the electric can opener would not work. The electric clocks halted march of time, and stood still at 1:14. The electric burglar alarm lay dormant and we lay in bed in fear and trepidation of burglars in the totally black house and canyon.

We never knew if we had visitors as the door bell did not work. Dirty dishes piled up and the recalcitrant electric dishwasher couldn’t work.

The electric razor put the kibosh on my husband’s shaving. Have you ever tried shaving by candlelight? Two out of three of our phones are of the electronic type, requiring house current--the remaining phone when it rang would stop before we answered even after springing across the room and downstairs. Etc., etc., etc.

All Saturday afternoon and evening we worried about 33 people coming for lunch the next day and nothing was ready. Not until 8 o’clock Sunday morning did we call off the luncheon and notify the invited guests.

EDITH WELLLEN SLAUGHTER

Los Angeles