Anyone remember Christmas Eve 1989 here in Tampa Bay?
My husband Gary and I were married for only two years, and it was the first year in our new home in Lutz.
It was crazy cold that year. As people switched on their electric heaters, plugged in their Christmas lights, and turned on their electric stoves, the resulting power shortage caused rolling blackouts.
The house would be full of light and warmth for about an hour, and then poof — everything was dark. There was no way to know how long we would be without light.
Typically the power would be out for an hour or two, but sometimes it would be out for three.
We were forced to sit and relax by candlelight, and we found ourselves engaged in pleasant conversation. We had no idea when we would receive the glorious gift of electrical power again.
When the power went back on, we would jump up and do as many tasks as we could that required electricity. I ran the vacuum, cranked up the heat, used multiple burners on the stove, and heated the big oven and the toaster oven at the same time.
We didn’t know how much time we had before cold darkness would return. Just as abruptly as lights went on, they’d go out again, and we’d be back in the darkness, fumbling around in a search for lighters, candles and flashlights.
While in the throes of it, it felt like the rolling blackouts during the holidays were a curse. Looking back, however, it’s easy to see that the loss of power was not a burden, but a gift.
It was a blessing to spend those interludes between our frantic bursts of activity savoring the company of each other.
– Suzanne Beauchaine
Suzanne Beauchaine is an account manager with The Laker/Lutz News, joining the paper in 2013. She seeks to listen to customers to ensure their advertising meets their marketing needs.
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