I was just a kid delivering newspapers along Sunset Road in Montrose, New York when the power went out across the Northeast and parts of Canada back in November 1965.
Lots of Minnesota kids had a similar experience this weekend, as power outages from storms on Friday darkened large parts of the Twin Cities and central Minnesota.
The blackout I experienced as a ten year old was memorable for the way adults reacted – up to that point I had never seen my parents so helpless. And of course every blackout, no matter how long it lasts, reveals to us just how completely we rely on having an uninterrupted power supply. Habits are exposed and we realize how fragile our infrastructure is the moment we flip that switch and nothing happens. It takes a blackout of several hours before I can begin to change my expectations.
Whether you have power or not, I’m guessing you’ve had enough experience with outages to summarize it in three lines – with five syllables, seven syllables and five syllables.
I.
I enter the room
anticipating a light
that does not come on
II.
Every appliance
gets its button pushed again
before I say “duh”
III.
Refrigeration
Doesn’t happen without help
on Summer’s first day
Share a Blackout Haiku.
Trail Baboon 
Good morning.
I have no power
The lights will not come back on
The Dark Ages return
LikeLike
If there’s no power
Then there’s no sump pump either:
a night of bailing
LikeLike
our lives go along fine
until the power goes off
then its hey what the…
LikeLike
Left without any light
Has the world reached it’s end?
Will the power return?
LikeLike
we have become so soft
pristine lives in a bubble
forefathers roll over
LikeLike
daughters haiku
i cant text… phones dead
i need to go to the mall
i can recharge there
LikeLike
god forbid we sit
with our thoughts and quiet moments
when was the last time?
LikeLike
stoves broke eat beans cold
weekend campout in back yard
survival training
LikeLike
Rise and Shine Baboons
Air Conditioning
broke. Yard is full of downed branches
Hot, hard work. Pee-u.
LikeLike
Left without any light?
That is not completely true
I can light candles
LikeLike
The power is gone
I have a generator
Will it do the job?
LikeLike
Daughter is frightened
She is no fan of the dark
Where is a flashlight?
Refrigerator
Kaput – all food is thawing
Must eat the ice cream
(darn)
LikeLike
Freezer not running
What to do with frozen food
Cook up a big stew
LikeLike
All the lights are out.
Even though it’s just the lights
It seem quieter.
LikeLike
My regular road
Is covered by the downed trees –
And a squashed sports car.
LikeLike
Coffeemaker dead.
There is power in St. Paul–
Journey to the East.
LikeLike
I count my blessings…
A French press coffeemaker.
My trusty gas stove.
LikeLike
Riverview Cafe
Friday night dessert menu
Transformer souffle
LikeLike
Ha ha!!
LikeLike
no lights, no power
like the old days; pioneers.
Wait- where’s my cell phone?
LikeLike
Without the power
The frozen stuff is melting.
Time to get cookin’!
LikeLike
It is official –
Mother Nature is pissed off!
What do we do now?
LikeLike
Right. Don’t piss off Mother Nature. We had better stop doing that.
LikeLike
LikeLike
It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature….
(A margarine ad years ago).
LikeLike
I feel left out here.
Power uninterrupted.
I can live with that.
Maybe we are being spared as we already have enough going on.
in other exciting news, we have a new Perma-Cat! very cute, purrs constantly. Seems to like study time.
LikeLike
nothing better than kittys that purr
LikeLike
Apheresis now-
Collecting platelets today.
A power outage would suck!
I’m glad purry kitty has a new home and a loyal, dutiful companion. Going to be a smart kitty!
LikeLike
OK B I R?
The Robbinsdale big sink hole
Looks pretty awful!
LikeLike
Sinkhole is downtown
They say it was not the storm –
Water main is broke.
It’s right down the road
From where my mom’s living
Next to McDonalds. 🙂
LikeLike
I sat in O’Hare.
The airport had been shut down.
Storms came from St. Paul.
LikeLike
Power is back on
Internet is still a dream
Blog in library.
Glad today is short
Off’rings on the TBB –
Got to read it all.
Time is almost up
Hope we’re back up on the web
By Tuesday a.m.
LikeLike
Local singer/songwriter, Ann Reed, wrote this today:
We walk, hearts heavy
tears for fallen trees, but joy
for those still standing
LikeLike
hey she might have a future in writing verse.
thats pretty good
welcome ann
LikeLike