>> MARK: ONE NIGHT LAST WINTER, OUR POWER WENT OUT.

AS A DOCTOR, I WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON ELECTRICITY TO STAY ALIVE.

WELL, I DID THINK OF THAT, BUT MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, "HOW AM I GOING TO WATCH THE NEW EPISODE OF 'SHRINKING'?"

I SPENT THE NEXT FEW HOURS WANDERING AROUND THE HOUSE, CHECKING THE LAMPS, MAKING SURE THE BULBS WERE SCREWED IN ALL THE WAY.

ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS, "DON'T OPEN THE FRIDGE."

MY MOM ALWAYS SAID THAT DURING A BLACKOUT.

UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE YOU THINK OF IT, YOUR ONLY IMPULSE IS TO CHECK IN THE FRIDGE TO SEE WHAT WILL SPOIL.

WHEN WE WERE KIDS, ELECTRICITY WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF HOLES IN THE WALL.

WE HAD NO IDEA IT COULD GO AWAY.

WE NEVER EVEN KNEW YOU HAD TO PAY FOR IT.

MY DAD NEVER SHOWED US THE BILLS.

AS FAR AS WE KNEW, IT WAS JUST ALWAYS AROUND US, LIKE THE AIR.

NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY HE WOULD TURN OFF ALL THE LIGHTS +- WHENEVER HE CAME INTO A ROOM.

YOU FORGET HOW MANY THINGS DEPEND ON ELECTRICITY.

WHY SHOULDN’T I BE ABLE TO BRUSH MY TEETH OR MAKE COFFEE DURING A BLACKOUT?

THE PIONEERS COULD BUILD A TWO-STORY CABIN USING A FEW HAND TOOLS, AND I CAN'T EVEN JIGGLE A TOOTHBRUSH UP AND DOWN.

I KNOW THEY WERE ALL HARDY AND COULD SURVIVE MINNESOTA WINTERS THANKS TO THEIR BIG BUSHY BEARDS, BUT HOW DID THEY MAKE IT WITHOUT REGULAR SPORTS UPDATES OR WORDLE?

THEY COULD KILL THINGS FOR FOOD, BUT COULD THEY ORDER WOOLLY HATS WITH TWO-HOUR DELIVERY FROM AMAZON?

ANYWAY, FOR THE REST OF THAT EVENING I READ AN ACTUAL "BOOK," MADE OF PAPER, BY THE LIGHT OF ONE DIM CANDLE IN THE CORNER.

I DID ULTIMATELY SURVIVE, WITHOUT KILLING ANYTHING BUT A HALF BOX OF TRISCUITS.

EVENTUALLY THE POWER CAME BACK.

AND, WITH TEARS IN MY EYES, I OPENED MY COMPUTER TO SEE WHAT WORLD-SHAKING EVENTS I MISSED DURING THE LAST THREE HOURS.

NOTHING.

NOTHING HAD HAPPENED.

THE POWER OUTAGE DIDN’T EVEN MAKE THE NEWS.

I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED, I JUST LOGGED OFF AND WENT TO CHECK IN THE FRIDGE.