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One is rich not through possessions, but through that which one can with dignity do without.—Epicurus
At 4:11 p.m. on Thursday, August 14, 2003, the power went out in much of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest and Canada — and 50 million North Americans had a chance to see how well they cope without electricity.
The Hopi and the Mayan grandfathers seem to think that this event may have ushered in the End Times (see Mayans Predict Imminent Earth Changes, Spirit of Ma'at "The Secret Space in the Heart" issue) — not so much the end of the world as the end of time as we know it, an era of great change and upheaval in the old patterns of life. But also implied is the establishment of new patterns.
If this interpretation is true — if we are indeed in the End Times — then the demeanor of those challenged on August 14 bodes well for our future.
Even though many at first wondered if the loss of power was due to a terrorist attack, nevertheless, calm prevailed. Pete Bowles, staff writer at Newsday, compared the August 14 blackout to the last one in New York, which occurred in 1977. "Unlike that night," Bowles commented, "looting was rare and injuries rarer. People, it seemed, had found a way to pull together" (see City Overcomes Its Dark Side).
And in a human-interest article titled "Spiritual Power," Beth Whitehouse, also of Newsday, looked at the blackout as a possible environmental message "slipped under the door" by God. "If you cast yourself as a religious person in any religion," one of her sources said vis a vis the power outage, "it has to be a basic part of your religious belief to take steps to preserve the planet that God created."
In New York, as elsewhere, the spiritual theme seemed to prevail. People suddenly had time to attend to one another. Those trapped in elevators and subways cars were rescued. Buses and taxis were at a premium, and many people walked home or even thumbed rides, demonstrating in both cases a faith in their fellow man not commonly seen in the Big City during ordinary times.
Bars overflowed with impromptu parties. If people couldn't get home, they made the most of their time in the city. At apartment buildings all over, neighbors collected outside, lit candles, shared bottles of wine and beer, and actually talked to one another. Far from chaos or disruption, the New York scene resembled a candlelight vigil.
Many who were stranded in the city called up friends and acquaintances who invited them to stay the night. Some were allowed to sleep in the lobbies of hotels that had no vacancies. A few who could find no other place to go slept on the marble steps of the General Post Office near Penn Station.
People made do. They showed a resiliency that was encouraging. The power may have been out, but our heart lights were on.
For more information see:
Newsday
Spiritual Power
Blackout May Prompt Interest in Fuel Cells
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