When my power went out…

By Mark Salley | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

The inconvenience of a power outage — the loss of electricity to light your dark bedrooms, to power the televisions that distract us, even to losing internet connections to the outside world — is…a gift!

I was quickly reminded of the benefit — even the joy — of being without power.

It is electricity that connects us to the world at large. What’s going on in Iran? Did the USA win its baseball game in the world baseball classic? What am I missing tonight on my favorite TV show?

The electric garage door opener won’t work. There’s no electric light at night to read my book in bed. In fact, there is no nightlight to help me navigate my home in the dark!

What’s a man or woman to do?

Rejoice. Be glad.

When the power is out…we are given a time to reflect, a time to be with a loved one or friend…when the conversation is not competing for attention with whatever is on the TV or the radio. It’s just you and me baby.

Are you glad you married me? Are you glad we can have this time without the constant crashing crushing “news of the day?”

I am.

This evening when my power went out…I was…okay, I can do this!

I busied myself for a while with a walk. When I was home again I thought, I’d turn on the news (Newsmax or Fox of course, not the fake-news of CNN, NBC or CBS). But, what do you know…the TV was dead.

Duh.

How quickly I forgot the power was out. And how accustomed I was to looking to THE IMMEDIATE to fill my daily moments.

What I realized was the gift of powerlessness I had been given with this outage.

Now, of course…a power outage is a tragedy for someone on life support or medical support that requires power generation. I, for sure, am not dismissing the critical importance of electric power.

But what I realized with this latest Xcel-Energy-Caused-Power-Outage, was…I have become spoiled. I expect to flip a switch and have the light come on. I expect to hit the garage-door opener and have the door open. I expect to use my computer to click on my favorite news…but…it’s…not…there.

So, where is the blessing? Where is this joy I found in being without power?

The answer: I slowed down. I stopped. I could NOT have what I wanted WHEN I wanted it.

Doesn’t that sound like a commercial: You can have it when you want it! You can have it all!

Truth is: you can’t.

But what you can have is peace. Peace without power…without electric power! If your peace of mind depends on your connections to the world through the electric grid powered by Xcel Energy — you have put your faith in nothing.

Electricity cannot fill your soul. It cannot connect you with the important things in life.

Only God can connect us and keep us in peace, in joy, and in power. The “electric power” is out. Big deal. God is in power. He never will leave us or forsake us.

Mark Salley served as deputy press secretary to former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens during the final 18 months of his second term. His background includes media relations work with Xcel Energy and serving as editor of the former Front Range Journal in Idaho Springs. In 2000, he was selected as a Colorado Voices columnist for the Denver Post.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.