Outage by Susan L.

  The power was out for nearly four hours last night. An unusual event. It was long enough to warrant firing up my little generator to run the sump pump and a light upstairs. It isn't big enough to run the furnace so the house got a bit chilly.
  Thanks go to the hydro crews who were working outside in the frigid dark. They worked hard to get the thousand or so of us up and running as quickly as possible.
  The house was quiet without the TV nattering away. Almost too quiet. There's usually some form of white noise also. The furnace kicking in, the fridge, the water pump or sump. Even my water heater adds its own voice that I hear but don't. The silence throbbed last night and was more unnerving than the dark.
  I need to pray about this. I went a long time without watching TV. Now it's a constant when I am home. Yes, I am usually doing something else when it is on. Some form of hand work keeps me occupied. However, the blank screen rattled my cage and the fact I couldn't have it on stirred up a sense of loss. A sign that perhaps the black box is too big a piece of my life.
  "Therefore, my brethren, flee from idolatry." 1 Cor  10:14