Let there be light!

no power | power
Originally uploaded by Vitaliy P..

Over the past few days I have been staying in touch with the doormen in my building, eager for any news about the return of our heat, electricity and water. This morning the news came that warmed my heart. The power had been restored!

I packed up my belongings and thanked Sharlo profusely for being such a good samaritan and putting up with me this week. Piling into a cab, the driver told me how he'd had to wait in line for gas that morning....FOR TWO HOURS! And even then, he was only allowed to fill up his car with 30 gallons. I don't know how much that is, but I remember saying a silent prayer that it was enough to get me home.

Turns out we were fine and before long I was back in the blessed elevator, and safe and sound on the 15th floor once more.

It wasn't until I got back upstairs that I learned what the doorman had NOT mentioned: we were still out of hot water, and the toilets still weren't flushing. ICKY.

I did the only thing I could think of to do. I set off in search of pantry basics, to restock the fridge and freezer, and (most of all), for some milk so I could make a wonderful, heartwarming Nespresso coffee. I literally searched four different stores in my area - includes two pharmacies and a supermarket - but the shelves were bare. No milk, indeed no dairy of any kind, was to be found. It was quite frightening actually. Not in an oh-shit-society-is-crumbling sort of way, but more in the sense of when-is-life-going-to-get-back-to-normal way. I ended up just getting a filtered coffee from the little Italian deli on the corner and I even got one for the doorman (cause that's how I roll). As average as the coffee tasted, it warmed me right down to my toes.

A couple of minutes ago, building maintenance showed up to turn on the water pressure to the toilets. That flushing sound has never been so sweet to my ears, let me tell you!

Now I'm well aware that to some people, I probably sound like an asshole princess for complaining about my situation. But I'm well aware that this momentary inconvenience is NOTHING on what other people have suffered. I know how lucky I am, trust me on that.

But this slow return to normal life suggests to me that New York City is finally starting to get back on its feet. The rebuild will take time, and for some people the wounds will never heal. But with every service that gets restored; every light bulb that blinks back to life; and every toilet that flushes, we get a stark reminder of the resilience of a great city and its proud residents.