I would make a really bad Amish person

Exactly 4 days ago my hometown, Richmond, VA, got hit with the remnants of Hurricane Irene in the form of a Tropical Storm. I have experienced the aftemath of a hurricane before when Isabel blew through, and my girls (very young then) and I sat in the candlelight and listened as tree after tree snapped and then crashed hoping the next would not come through the house. We finally got to sleep. The next morning was the calm after the storm. It was beautiful and sunny and QUIET. We went outside, and I couldn't believe all the trees that were down all around us. We were without power for about 4 days then, but it didn't seem that bad. We cooked food on the grill, cleaned the house and played games. That was 8 years ago. We just got power back today after losing it around 6:30 on Saturday evening. Barely 3 days, and it seemed like forever. What was the big difference between now and then? A huge difference has to be our immense dependence on technology. We have become "connected" 24/7 to news, internet, bank accounts and friends with the tap of a finger on a touchscreen or a couple of keystrokes on a computer. We have the choice of hundreds of television stations and movies as close as the remote. When that power source leaves, so does that connection, and we are all at a loss. Another big difference for me was that I didn't have to be anywhere in 2008 when Isabel hit. I had a job with the school system, and we were closed. The girls were young, and it was somewhat of an adventure. The girls are now in their teens, and 24 hours was enough! We were all thrilled when we got "THE CALL" today that power had been restored. I was actually excited to wash my dishes today. That feeling won't last, and tonight it was business as usual.
When you get used to something, you take it for granted, but when it's gone, you realize just how blessed you are to be able to have all those things mentioned above. So many people are upset with Dominion Virginia Power as if somehow it is their fault that power was lost. The storm was the thief. The power company is the hero working tirelessly to restore electricity to over 1 million customers. Think about that. We are very fortunate that it has only been 3 days. I am so thankful for all the workers who have been out there dealing with very dangerous stuff so I can update my status on Facebook! So when you drive by a crew working in the next couple of days, wave, smile and give them a thumbs up. They deserve at least that and so much more!