Electricity

A violent storm came through my hometown two days ago and much of the town (including our neighborhood) has been without power for almost two full days now. It certainly underlines how dependent we are on electricity.

I'm no Bear Grylls: put me in the jungle and I'd be dead within two days. I wouldn't know which plants to eat, how to kill an animal (or keep one from killing me), how to construct a rudimentary shelter, or even which water would be safe to drink.

There does seem to be something a little pathetic about a guy so utterly helpless he's almost like a newborn baby in many ways.

But as much fun as Bear is to watch on TV, I still have no particular desire to learn those things.

Most suburban -- or urban -- types are the same way. And the more civilization progresses, the softer we get. (I can't even imagine how harsh life must have been for those unfortunate souls who lived in the pre-internet era.)

Something has been lost.