July 17, 2022
This recent Weekend Experiences contest only brought back my childhood memories, back when we were still living in a secluded place in our province with no electricity at all.
With or without electricity, I can say that I will survive in this modern world and I could handle the problems that I'll encounter since I was born and grew up with no electricity. However, all things have advantages and disadvantages. And we can't deny the fact that, nowadays, electricity is one of the vital resources that give convenience and comfort to our lives.
Turning back the hands of time, in a secluded place in our town, we lived simply in a small native hut, yet happy and satisfied with our simple life even without electricity and it lasted for a few years.
Image from Pixabay
I was too young back then. Our life was so simple, there was no television, no aircon, no gadgets, no washing machine, no refrigerator, no gas range, etc, and what we only had was a battery-operated radio which served as our source of entertainment.
We have no gadgets so we used to play traditional Filipino games instead. Besides, our front and backyard had a wide area enough to play anything we wanted to.
A simple piece of kerosene lamp was the only thing that brightened our night. Studying in the dark was quite a struggle. But we became used to it.
Image from Pixabay
To make our night not-so-boring, we often play pet shadowing on the wall using our hands. That was our way of entertainment. Sometimes, our mother would tell us funny or fantasy stories until we fall asleep. I missed this.
Despite having no electricity, we lived happily.
However, I can't deny the fact that when we moved to the inner part of the village, I was 7 or 8 years old, I started seeing our neighbor's house with electrical appliances. I also yearned for television like what our neighbors have so we could watch cartoons and other kids' shows.
Image from Unsplash by Possessed Photography
I also yearned for a washing machine so our mother wouldn't be tired of washing our dirty clothes manually. I wished to have electricity so we could put Christmas lights on our simple Christmas tree because I love seeing those twinkling Christmas lights on the street, and so it wouldn't be dark anymore to study at night. I never yearned for gadgets when I was younger, all I want is television so I could watch shows.
And that was when I was young. Now looking at today's generation, it is undeniable that it's a big struggle to live without electricity, even for us bloggers.
No electricity means no online side hustles. No use of gadgets and electrical appliances, no more convenient transportation, less comfort. And many would probably die because health institutions and giving aid to ill people truly need supplies that use electricity. Lack of medical supplies means more death.
Image from Unsplash by Christin Hume
Image from Unsplash by Robin Wersich
But I guess there is no end to the world.
As long as the sun shines every morning and gives us light, that means there's hope and there is always a way to survive any challenges.
Just imagine those people living in the mountains with no electricity at all. They can survive on their own and even live longer.
Image from Unsplash by Neha Maheen Mahfin
I've seen a lot in my own country too. It's a little bit of a struggle for them, but they can survive with the use of their survival skills. They live simply and are contented with the small blessings they receive from Him.
And if I will experience living with no electricity again, I am certain that I can survive too.
In November 2013, the strongest typhoon in the Philippines' history, typhoon Haiyan, devastated our province, and I am one of the survivors of that strongest typhoon.
We literally lived in a dark ghost town. Almost all houses were wrecked and dead bodies were all over the place. Electrical supplies were greatly affected and we lived in the dark for more than a month.
Image from Unsplash by Carl Kho
There were no network connections too, so gadgets were useless. Each night was a struggle but how did we survive? Candles and hand-made kerosene lamps brightened our nights. The multi-cab owned by my father was our medium of transportation in visiting other cities to buy necessary supplies. We also use the car's battery to charge our phones. Whenever we want to use our phones, we would go to the high part of the hill to look for a network connection.
It was a struggle for us and it took us a long time to fully recovered from that devastation. A few hours before the New Year celebration in December 2013, the light supply was back and we all jumped in joy.
It was a situation that no one will ever want to experience again. However, it taught us a lot of lessons. One is to be resourceful and mindful. There was a lack of supplies and all we did was look for alternatives. We used our minds to think about how to survive in certain circumstances.
Those were also the moments I've seen the real camaraderie of my co-Filipinos. Everyone was willing to pull up their sleeves to help each other. There was no rich and poor, everyone was equal. Our house, on the other hand, became a shelter for my relatives and family members who lost their houses and that was when our family bonds became stronger.
We can easily adapt to the environment and resiliency to survive any unforeseen circumstances. And I survived living in a place with no electricity when I was a kid. I survived the strongest typhoon. And I survived living in a place with no electricity for more than a month. Others even experience a few months and years.
If others can do it, why can't you?
If there's a will, there will always be a way to survive any devastation and unforeseen circumstances in life. And we should always remember that "behind those dark clouds are silver linings that would give us hope and the sun always shines each day to brighten our darkest days."
