It had been three days into the blackout due to Hurricane Sandy. Shops in Chinatown were still close, streets dark and empty. There was garbage rolling around in the damp streets. All the electricity had been knocked out from the harsh winds. Trees had fallen onto the streets and in the parks. It had been be longest three days of my life. No internet. No light. No water. Whenever I walked into the bathroom, went to the kitchen for water, turned on Google Chrome, I was reminded once again that I no longer had access to these things. It was horrible. It was the end of October, the skies were cloudy and the wind made the trees bend like a rubber band.
Every night I was already laying in bed by seven pm. Since it was the end of October, the sun went away quickly. All I had was a candle. All of my electronics were out of juice, and yet I had no electricity to charge them. As darkness engulfed me, I stared up at my ceiling only to see nothing. Where was my ceiling that I looked at every night? Where was the night sky shining through my window? I was left alone with nothing but my thoughts. Hidden under my covers and protected by the warmth, I stared at the candle by my side. I watched it burned, but I was no longer awake when the candle had burned out.
Waking Thursday morning, I suddenly found myself faced with a dilemma: a growling stomach. I climbed out of my warm cocoon and walked barefoot outside my hallway. The cold marble floors sent chills up my spine. I made my way to the fridge and opened it, only to realize that it was empty and dark with a funny odor coming from it. It reeked of spoiled milk and rotten fish. Right, I thought, no electricity. Hoping to find something good to eat, I did a scavenger hunt around the house,. I sighed as I realize I was left with stale bread and hardened cookies.
I gathered what I found and set them out the table for inspection. I searched for the expiration date and signs of it going bad. Luckily, both items past the test. I finally headed back to my room and began to eat. The bread crunched with each bite I took. A sandy, moldy taste was left in my mouth. The cookies crumbled and broke into a million pieces when I split them in half. Suddenly, a overwhelming feeling came across me. What was it?
Gratefulness.
I was grateful that I didn't usually have to eat like this, grateful that freshly cooked food was always waiting for me at my dinner table. It really amazed me how one event could change my perspective on things. I never had the fear in my mind that one day I could lose all of these things. Food was something I always had. Electricity and water was something I never had to think about. Now they were these obstacles in my daily life. I should appreciate the things I have, especially food. Just because something doesn't taste good, doesn't mean I should throw it out. It’s funny how people are so used to having all these things in their life and don’t give much thought on how good their lives are. In reality, I now realized that, after the ordeal I went through, some people aren't as fortunate as me.