May 5, 2021. Madison, Mississippi. Electricity.

People lived well before the invention of electricity. I remind myself of that fact everytime I am forced to live without electricity. But of course, foks in the 19th century had lots of devices to keep the family functioning such as water pumps and oil lamps. We just get irritated that the power is off. And we want it to be turned back on. When Kashina came this morning she asked if we had a generator. "I am surprised that Dr.Ken did not have one," she said. I told her that we had talked about buying one but never did get around to actually getting one. Most of the time we do not run out of power so we decided to save our money. Kashina was unable to complete her tasks today. She could not launder and remake the bed. And she was unable to put out the trash because she was unable to open the garage doors. She was more irritated than me. My neighbor came over this afternoon and we chatted for a few minutes about our irrational behavior. Last evening she wondered if, because the whole family was home and together, perhaps they might watch a movie together. But with no electricity, watching a movie was not an option. And I have noted myself switching on the switch when I enter the bathroom, even though I am holding onto a flashlight. But there is one major difference being out of power here in Mississippi. The taps still run and the toilets flush. In Nova Scotia, because we all use wells, when the power goes out we lose water including flushings. Life is easier in Mississippi at least in the cities. I was happy to rejoin the 21st century when I came home after lunch to find the electricity was up and running. We certainly depend on electricity.