Happy New Year. 2022 has arrived, and there are stacks of research for writing projects on my desk. One of those new year resolutions (posting here once a week) took a quick turn for the worse when I decided to skip Sunday and post on Monday…and on Monday about 8 inches of snow fell where I live in Central Virginia. And the power grid decided to quit working.
Without electricity for 32 hours was both an inconvenience and a huge blessing. I had about 600 pages of Revolutionary War history that I needed to read “sometime” for work so I settled in with candles and blankets to make the best use of the quiet hours. There’s something about reading accounts of Valley Forge and Morristown that makes one’s plight seem less “trying to the soul.”
With natural light aided by the flickering candles, I read and read. It was wonderful. This wasn’t the first time I had studied Revolutionary War history, but it had been a while since I had read a comprehensive overview book. At times, I seemed to forget the ending and I would think, “It’s impossible. Oh, wait, you already know Yorktown happened and then the Treaty of Paris.” Without other distractions, it was easy to get swept into the drama on the pages and really think about the history.
So…I’m wondering…should there be a new goal on my list for the year? Some voluntary no electricity evenings to read by candlelight (supported with the better light of a camping lantern) to just focus and explore the past in an un-distracted way?
Sarah
Sarah Kay Bierle 