Powerless?

It was a beautiful scene, my neighborhood in the ethereal light of a full moon. I sat on the front porch watching as patches of light and shadow danced across the grass. My dog- I mean Jo's dog- was sniffing the air, growling as best an 8 pound dog can growl at perceived dangers. That wonderful chorus of night sounds rose and fell in waves - the crickets, locusts, cicadas, bullfrogs etc, joined by the cacophony of clattering generators.

Oh yeah, the power was off. Which is why I was out on the front porch to start with, because I had no TV or computer, unlike my more 'fortunate' neighbors who were generating their own power. That was last night.

The previous night, the kids and I piled into the car and made a food run to Java Jo, which still had intermittent power. Back at home we sat around the dining room table with candlelight and a battery powered lantern. We enjoyed the food and the company, read books and comic strips, and forgot to complain about the inconvenience.

It's two days since the remnants of Ike's winds took out our electricity. What it did not take was our power to choose how we respond. Not ready to permanently 'live Amish' as my wife calls it, but knowing it's better than the ice storm was, better than Galveston.

Sans electricity? Yes. Powerless? Not with an innate, divine imperative to choose our thoughts. Now that's a beautiful thing.

As a man thinks, so he is. Whatever is good, think on it.