Comments on: RANT: Dangerous Questions Part I: What About Connectivity? http://www.angelarecommends.com/dangerous-question-part-i-connectivity/ Rants, Reviews & Recomendations to Make Your Life Better! Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:15:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Sue http://www.angelarecommends.com/dangerous-question-part-i-connectivity/#comment-66 Sue Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:58:42 +0000 http://www.angelarecommends.com/?p=488#comment-66 A few years ago, this was a profound question for me, and yet the answer was so overwhelmingly liberating, I can't tell you! Being a re-enactor (Civil War), I spent nearly 40 4-day weekends a year without electricity, as well as many of the conveniences I enjoy in my "normal existance." However, a few years ago both hubby and I lost our jobs, and we wound up in a house living much like we do at re-enactments. NO utilities, no running water, and no end in sight. It taught us just "so much" about ourselves, each other, and the place of technology in our lives. It taught us what was important, new skills for everything from entertaining ourselves, to learning to make money without jobs, to how to store food with no power and no generator. While I don't recommend such an immersion (our situation lasted 2 1/2 months), I DO wholeheartedly encourage people to attempt at least a weekend, and then, perhaps a week without the so-called "modern conveniences." The rewards are well worth the couple days of withdrawal - and they stick with you - you cannot help but be changed and enlightened by the experience! Incidentally, this past March I got caught in Kentucky during the ice storm that knocked out power to 1/3 the state - in some places for more than 6 weeks. I ran out of gas pulling into the hotel I had reservations at, which was closed - and I was 500 miles from home. The owner (another Sue!!) let me stay in my usual room, until the health department made us all move on. No gas, 27 miles to the nearest possibility of an open station, and nowhere to go... Had I not had my original experiences, and been able to ask questions, I would not have been very sane by the time I finally did make it home. As it was, it turned out to be a rather enjoyable experience (despite the layers!), as well as a chance once again to learn new lessons. There's not enough room to list all the good things I learned this time, either - The first experience was all about trusting myself and people I knew - the second was about trusting the Universe and peope I didn't know. (STRANGERS!!! OMG!!!) Both experiences are among my most cherished memories, and both were actually FUN after I decided to get over my fear, accept my situation, and make a decision on what I wanted out of them... A few years ago, this was a profound question for me, and yet the answer was so overwhelmingly liberating, I can’t tell you!

Being a re-enactor (Civil War), I spent nearly 40 4-day weekends a year without electricity, as well as many of the conveniences I enjoy in my “normal existance.” However, a few years ago both hubby and I lost our jobs, and we wound up in a house living much like we do at re-enactments. NO utilities, no running water, and no end in sight.

It taught us just “so much” about ourselves, each other, and the place of technology in our lives. It taught us what was important, new skills for everything from entertaining ourselves, to learning to make money without jobs, to how to store food with no power and no generator.

While I don’t recommend such an immersion (our situation lasted 2 1/2 months), I DO wholeheartedly encourage people to attempt at least a weekend, and then, perhaps a week without the so-called “modern conveniences.”

The rewards are well worth the couple days of withdrawal – and they stick with you – you cannot help but be changed and enlightened by the experience!

Incidentally, this past March I got caught in Kentucky during the ice storm that knocked out power to 1/3 the state – in some places for more than 6 weeks. I ran out of gas pulling into the hotel I had reservations at, which was closed – and I was 500 miles from home.

The owner (another Sue!!) let me stay in my usual room, until the health department made us all move on. No gas, 27 miles to the nearest possibility of an open station, and nowhere to go…

Had I not had my original experiences, and been able to ask questions, I would not have been very sane by the time I finally did make it home. As it was, it turned out to be a rather enjoyable experience (despite the layers!), as well as a chance once again to learn new lessons. There’s not enough room to list all the good things I learned this time, either -

The first experience was all about trusting myself and people I knew – the second was about trusting the Universe and peope I didn’t know. (STRANGERS!!! OMG!!!) Both experiences are among my most cherished memories, and both were actually FUN after I decided to get over my fear, accept my situation, and make a decision on what I wanted out of them…

]]> By: Carol Fazakas http://www.angelarecommends.com/dangerous-question-part-i-connectivity/#comment-58 Carol Fazakas Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:09:30 +0000 http://www.angelarecommends.com/?p=488#comment-58 Hi Angela, Interesting question...one we experience fairly frequently where we live. Even though we live on the beach, it isn't a place I head in the middle of winter ice storms or heavy snow. Electricity always is...it is more a matter of what mode we are using to gather and utilize.ie solar power ...wind power. I have been looking in to some form of alternative because for us when the power is out, it means loss of heat, light, food cooling (frig/freezer) and most importantly water as it runs our pump for the well. So connectivity , although it is on the list is only a part of my list. With my own personal source it would return my life to normal if satelite systems wer up and running. The bigger question here...dare i say it? is if entire grids go down. There is still the land line phone..or maybe not. Your question isn't just about connectivity but inter dependency on how we operate as countries...and communities. Hi Angela,
Interesting question…one we experience fairly frequently where we live. Even though we live on the beach, it isn’t a place I head in the middle of winter ice storms or heavy snow. Electricity always is…it is more a matter of what mode we are using to gather and utilize.ie solar power …wind power. I have been looking in to some form of alternative because for us when the power is out, it means loss of heat, light, food cooling (frig/freezer) and most importantly water as it runs our pump for the well. So connectivity , although it is on the list is only a part of my list. With my own personal source it would return my life to normal if satelite systems wer up and running. The bigger question here…dare i say it? is if entire grids go down. There is still the land line phone..or maybe not. Your question isn’t just about connectivity but inter dependency on how we operate as countries…and communities.

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