Like, Twilight Zone weird, sort of.
In my home and in my small community, life is normal. Except not really normal. Other than the fact that school will be out at least until next Thursday, life seems normal when I am within the walls of my home or at least in the confines of my subdivision.
Outside of my bubble is a completely different story. Approximately 60% of the residents in my town have no electricity still. That just makes me so sad. The hurricane struck one week ago tonight. In the greater Houston area, 2.21 million customers still are without power. That's customers! You average 3 people in every home, that triples the number of people living without electricity.
Within our ward (congregation) boundaries, things are slowly picking up. At this point, there are only a handful of people without electricity. (A good portion of the folks in town without power are on the east end of my town and therefore are in the other ward -- not that we can't help them too!)
Some friends and I have coined the term "electricity guilt". To ease the guilt, I have offered and tried to help out as best I can. Sadly, I am not the most charitable of women in the Relief Society - women's organization at church (maybe that's why I love the primary - children's organization at church). We've got one couple's freezer plugged in our garage, and I've done laundry for a couple people. I've got frozen food of another family in my freezer.
The other night, a lady in the ward who is basically our adopted grandma, came over and asked if I would do her a favor. I was thrilled that she asked! She and her husband live in a retirement community and at that point had been without electricity for about five days. Despite my pleading for her to stay with us, she said that a couple people had generators and they were all sharing those so as to plug in refrigerators and turn on a fan once in a while, so they were doing fine - (especially since the weather has graciously turned very unseasonable cool and nice). She and her neighbors were all taking turns cooking each night. So anyway, it wasn't her turn to cook, but she said they were desperate for chocolate and so she asked me to bake a cake. She brought over a pan, cake mix, frosting, and eggs. (Little did she know that the majority of my food storage is cake mixes and frosting so she could have had her pick!) I just thought that was so cute. So the next day, she came after work to pick up her cake and I gave her some cupcakes too -- we were needing a bit of chocolate too. (See how selfish I am!?!) I was so impressed with all these, um, mature people roughing it and having a great time doing so! (They got power in their community finally yesterday evening - yeah!)
So, just the little things that I am able to do make me feel a bit better about it all. I feel like there is so much more that I could be doing. Tomorrow I am going to try to volunteer at a relief center for at least part of the day. But I am also making myself realize that Geoff is out each weekend with the Mormon "Helping Hands" crews working in ours and neighboring communities, so by being home with the kids and allowing him to go, I am helping in a way. (I'm not looking for kudos here, I'm just saying what's going on in my world and in my head...)
Anyway, back to the title of this post (I realize I'm rambling. There's a lot of emotion going on with me right now, so bear with me.), it's weird because although I'm 'normal' in my little bubble, it all seems to be an abnormal domino effect on the outside of that bubble. For instance; I am limiting my driving because there is limited gas, so I am rationing what I have and only going places that are essential -- okay, yes, the zoo the other day was essential because the kids have been home for a week and we are looking at another week out of school, so I'm wrapping my brain around basically still being on summer vacation.
Also, I get a little panicky when we are running low on milk and/or essential groceries because the stores are still so thinly stocked. It's getting better and better each day, but as it is, I am trying to stay out of grocery stores for as long as possible and leave that for people who are still without power and such. That all goes back to the 'electricity guilt'. But, I know, when I need it, I need it, electricity or not. Not trying to be a martyr at all, I'm just saying.... Anyway, I'm going to attempt to get to the grocery store at 6 tomorrow morning so as to try to get the things I need. Wish me luck!
Any WAY, it's weird and crazy and I just want everyone to be happy and housed and back to normal. I want to go to Target and browse the isles, not because I need or necessarily want anything, but because that is normal (for me at least)! Maybe if I just act normal... And I can do that. As long as I don't go out of my subdivision. How long can that be possible?
I told you. It's just weird. Twilight Zone weird.
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4 comments:
My sentiments exactly. And we are the lucky ones, really, really lucky. I guess weird is better than nightmare?
I'm so glad Grandma and friends finally have power. That's an awesome little community of hearty souls, makes me happy to think of them roughing it. Not that I want them roughing it, but because I want to be that cool when I am mature!
Well, it's not like you go through a major hurricane every week, so of coarse, I would think it would be wierd! Anything that's not normal is wierd! I just can't imagine going through this. A friend in Houston pointed out to me that the cool thing about this was how neighbors were helping neighbors, doing things they wouldn't normally do. Now how wierd is that? LOL
I think you are feeling weird because you have just been involved in a HUGE natural disaster. You have been feeling totally out of control...it is bound to make you feel off kilter...not that you didn't know that.
You aren't selfish. :)
I know what you mean about not being able to help because of kids. Think about what you did with your time the last time you didn't have kids. Yeah, you served a mission...see...you are service oriented and you serve every day now, too. Somebody has to keep your kids thriving :)
That makes sense, kind of like a minor form of survivor guilt. Why me? Why did I escape the worst of it?
Not to mention, it has to be kind of eerie to not have the normal hustle and bustle going on.
I figure if I send my husband off to do service while I wrangle the kids, I'm doing service as well. Good on ya, and on your husband, for helping others through this time.
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