The Dark Ages

For literature lovers, you might fantasize about living during the times of Julius Caesar, King Arthur, or even Kit Carson. But on the practical side, I doubt if any one of us would prefer living in 673 A.D. rather than 2010. Am I right? The Dark Ages sound exactly that: dark.

Last Friday, I had a suspicion that it was going to be a long night. As I was driving home from work about 6:00 p.m. the traffic light at 6000 South wasn't working. (Side note: it is amazing how many people don't know or ignore the traffic rules.) Sure enough, when I pulled into my driveway and hit the "Open Sesame" button on the garage door opener, nothing happened. Yikes, I had to walk an extra three steps to get into the house!

Once inside I tried to think of chores to do that didn't require electricity. No vacuuming, laundry, cooking, computer work, sewing (not that I wanted to do them anyway, but it was frustrating to be limited in my freedom). I couldn't listen to the radio, television, or CD player. I guess I could dust, sweep, sing, read and play the piano. As I ate my meager supper of grapefruit and buttered bread, and wandered aimlessly about the house, I frequently looked out the windows. What I saw was intriguing. In every direction, the neighborhood was alive with activity...outside. Dads were playing nerfball with the little boys. Girls were riding their bicycles. Teenagers were walking the dogs. And can you believe this one? Neighbors were actually visiting with each other on the sidewalks! Crazy, man! It dawned on me that instead of families being holed up behind closed doors cooking supper and being buried in electronic devices, they were living life. It was a phenomenon that only happens this day and age when the power goes out.

A couple of weeks ago I had my three month checkup. I was especially anxious to be told the results of the tumor marker testing. To my surprise and relief, all results were in the normal range. All except for a deficiency in Vitamin D. (Well, I'm deficient in a lot of ways...social tact, memory power, and sex appeal...but Vitamin D?) Dr. Ingersoll inquired about my exercising habits. I hung my head in shame. I explained the life of a tax preparer during January, February, March and April. She understood. She wrote out her prescription: daily walks in the sunshine.

I have found that easier said than done. In the last two months, have we had more than two days in a row without rain or snow? The forecasts have alternated between partly cloudy and mostly cloudy. I don't feel safe walking alone in any neighborhood. It's dark when I get up in the morning; too hot when I get home from work; and walking the block during a lunch hour only produces sweaty, swollen feet for the rest of the day. So what am I supposed to do? If I were smart, I'd do what my neighbors did on Friday night. I would turn off all the electrical gadgets and just go outside with the rest of the world.

Gone are the days when neighbors visited on the front porch; the children congregated in the backyard for tag and races; we walked to the store, church meetings, school and to the cornfields; we put the laundry outside on the clothesline to dry; or after a hard day's work, we meditated on the veranda. I think I could soak in a lot of sunny rays and Vitamin D if today were 1910 instead of 2010.

Vitamin D is important medically. I was reading last night in my Coping magazine where 69 percent of women being treated for breast cancer had low levels of D. These lower levels are linked to decreased bone mineral density and increases the risk of cancer recurrence. But maybe equally as important are the social implications. It would be easy to find myself deficient in neighborly kindness. I guess I better limit my dependence on electricity and get out in the sunshine and the neighborhood. You just never know when Rocky Mountain Power is going to take another vacation and I want to be ready.

So Monday I will be playing Hopscotch on the driveway. Tuesday I will be skipping in the park. I think Wednesday would be a good day to go door to door to see who's home. Thursday, I will take my lunch hour to buy a walking dog companion. Friday I will play hooky from work and ride my bicycle to Antelope Island. And Saturday would be ideal for planting pansies. If anyone wants to join me, turn off the GS64 (or whatever) and the oven. I'd be glad to have some company.