A Canadian Quarantine — Day 12
Power Failure
Much to my surprise, boredom has not factored significantly into my Canadian Quarantine experience. Impatience, perhaps; panic, nearly; but not boredom. This may be due in part to the change in temperature, or the subtle but perceptible shift from green to yellow taking place in the leaves of the ash trees in front of our balcony. There is plenty to think about, talk about, and relax without. Lest these subtleties become too mundane, there are surprises. Today, the power went out — literally, not figuratively.
It’s interesting how much we simultaneously depend on and ignore our steady supply of electricity. As I type, I recheck the battery level on my devices — but I don’t stop to consider where its next meal is coming from. Unless, of course, the lights go out. Then the hum of the refrigerator vanishes, and the silence is a reminder that Life As We Know it, our very urban existence, is more fragile and uncertain than we have imagined.
Our battery-powered gadgets, whose tentacles invade every aspect of our quarantined existence, are now approaching their demise. We rush to find our emergency battery packs, one of which is useless. The other one is functional enough for charging one device. Lord of the Flies comes to mind, albeit briefly.
Thankfully, it’s the middle of the day, and a balcony visit becomes a respite from our devices. We play hide and seek with our little grandson who is in his stroller down below. He smiles, we smile back, and we quickly forget that our Urban Lifestyle hangs on a knife-edge, dependent on Hydro Quebec to repair whatever alleged equipment failure has occurred.
Yet again, Canada proves itself superior. The power failure was reported quickly, and despite my skepticism about their announced repair time-frame (30 minutes? No way!!), the lights came back on. California’s Public Utilities Commission should come here to find out how they do such magic.
Quarantine Life as We Know It has returned — and in only a few more days, Life As We Knew It Before Quarantine will return, too…
