Imagine A World Without Power?

Imagine a world without power?

After many of us were left in the dark from Hurricane Sandy, pondering that possibility is actually quite realistic.

For almost a week, many people in Forks and Palmer townships, elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley and along the East Coast have been waiting for the lights to go on again after they went out when Hurricane Sandy ripped through the region.

For some of us, the power outage was only minor -- maybe a day or so.

But others are still without electricity and they might not get it back for a week after Sandy's arrival.

It should be obvious to all of us that we take power for granted.

We flick on light switches like they're nothing and use power to power our smartphones, televisions and computers.

We're basically so dependent on it that we are actually rendered powerless when we lose it.

Think about what you've had to do without this past week.

In my house in Forks Township, we got power back Tuesday evening after losing it Monday night. But RCN is still out -- therefore, no cable, no TV, no phone and no Internet.

Maybe that's why it's not best to bundle those services.

My wife and son have been crippled by the RCN loss. My son, home from school all week, can't watch his favorite television shows or go on his computer. Meanwhile, my wife has had to work at my sister's place, a few blocks away, to do her job.

I'm lucky that I have a wireless gadget that allows me to do my job for Patch.com.

Every Monday night, I watch this great new show called "Revolution."

It's based on a world without power -- and that world is ugly.

People kill each other for food. Militias rule the roost and anarchy has replaced human decency.

It's scary.

We've seen how our world without people can start getting ugly.

People start taking matters into their own hands out of desperation.

They drive through those traffic lights that are out when they should stop like it's an intersection. There are long lines at gas stations and some gouging taking place.

And people are generally cranky, pissed off that their utility and cable companies haven't restored their power.

Even something as simple as trick-or-treating being postponed because of power outages and for safety reasons is driving people nuts.

We're used to routines. We're accustomed to a certain way of life.

We can barely make it a few days or a week without power. Imagine if we had to give it up for good?

Let's hope that Hurricane Sandy taught us all a lesson -- that we should all be grateful for the technology at our hands and we should also be mindful that we don't let it destroy us.

There was a time when human life didn't have electricity. Yet it soldiered on.

We must do so as well -- even if it's just for a few more days.