Could Somebody Please Turn On A Light?

Subtitled: My First Major Disaster.

I have no idea who reads this blog. (According to the ticker thingy at the bottom it does get read, so that makes me happy.) If you read this and you live in Marshall County (or near it) you are painfully aware of our current state of being. If you are reading this from afar, perhaps you've seen our situation on CNN, Fox, or whatever place it is that you get your news.

The truth is this: We are survivors of a disaster.

The thing about crippling ice storms is that they are slow, silent disasters. Earthquakes, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, and hurricanes are all very tangible and, for the most part, fast. You know it's coming (hopefully), you know when it hits, and you know when it's over.

With an ice storm? Not so much. You wake up to no power. Then the phones go. And then you realize that you can't get out of your driveway, let alone the ice-covered, tree-littered street. You are cut off from the world by a villain that came stealthily in the night.

The first wave of ice hit Marshall County over a week ago. Currently, most businesses are back up and running (including the Marshall County Public Libraries), but school is still out. Many of us are still without electricity and may be for a very long time.

It's been scary, painful, and surreal.

And it's excellent fodder for all of my aspiring writers.

I encourage all of my Orbis de Scriptor kids (and any of you that like to write but have yet to join up) to keep a journal of everything that you have experienced over the past week. For one thing, it is good practice. For two thing, it will help you deal. For three thing, one day this will all be a distant memory and you will appreciate having a written reminder of what happened. And, finally, for four thing, it may be the spark that starts the fire that becomes your best-selling novel.

To my YAAPers - I hope that you are all safe and warm. I'm going to worry about each and every one of you until I see or hear from you again.

(So, how do you like the "thing one", "thing two", etc? Cutsie or too much?)