Speaking of "crisis"

Just when you think the weather guys actually know what they are doing, you are once again reminded that they don't. My reason for NOT having blogged the last couple of days has ultimately little to do with the accuracy of a forecast and a lot more with my lack of preparation to deal with the loss of electrical power for a couple of days.

The ice storm that knocked out the power (and by extension our cable and phone service) in the larger New England Region (over 1 million customers without power and as of this writing over 250,000 are still in the dark) brought into stark focus how dependent we (I) are on our creature comforts. Not that we suffered; we have family in the area and relocated the kids and ourselves to various hospitable locales to enjoy holiday cheer and companionship, as well as warmth and light. But there are many, many folks in today's day and age whose daily existence does not include the luxury of running water, reliable electrical service, or warm and dry shelter.

Having experienced first hand the disruption caused by the loss of these conveniences I'd taken for granted has given me a new appreciation for the privileges we enjoy. Being an American, living free, with abundance and daily comforts, led me to a sense of entitlement I am afraid. It is clear to me that there is no entitlement; it takes hard work by a dedicated group of folks to keep those "entitlements' available. Be those folks the soldiers who keep us free, law enforcement or emergency workers who keep us safe, or the electrical and cable repair crews, who worked in cold and misarable conditions to restore "my" power, I am grateful for and humbled by their continued service to our well-being.

A heartfelt THANK YOU and it is great to be back!!