Imagine life without electricity, not just a brief power outage. We have all experienced power outages and all know how inconvenient life becomes when the electricity goes off, even if it is only for a few hours. The way I currently live my life makes me dependent on the fact that I will have electricity. When living in a place that has reliable electricity it is hard to imagine living without it, however, living in a place where city power is unpredictable and generators are a common source of power, imagining what life would be like without electricity becomes more of a reality.
Last night I went out to get water at 9pm. It was dark and the stars were shining high in the sky. On my way back from the store, I was walking past the compound, which is next to Trans and I heard women laughing. It was pitch dark wherever the women were sitting but I could tell that they were probably sitting together enjoying each other’s company. It made me want to join them. They sounded so happy. This got me thinking about how it is perfectly normal for locals here to live without electricity. It is normal for them to sit around in the dark, maybe around a fire and still function normally, compared to me who has never lived without power for a prolonged period of time. I have experienced power outages but they never lasted very long and I saw them as being a huge inconvenience. Power outages and not having electricity is normal for many people here. They live a way that no power is needed. They are not dependent on electric powered things to function in their day-to-day lives. Me on the other hand and the majority of other expats can barely function without power. With all of our electronics that need to be charged, the necessity of the Internet, needing light to get ready in the morning and the list goes on. Power cutting out is a regular occurrence here and we are rarely without power in the compound here so we are fortunate.
Entertainment. Back home it seems that the majority of things we use to entertain ourselves now require power. Televisions, computers, any kind of music player, games, etc, etc, etc. I know that there are things that do not require power but electricity is so important for our daily lives back home. If we lived without electricity what would we do to entertain ourselves? Perhaps we would have better relationships with our families, friends and neighbors. We would most likely be more active. We would read more. Probably play more musical instruments, and the list goes on.
AND I think people who live here are way more accustomed to the dark better than me. Walking at night without a flashlight is quite a feat in itself. Navigating Juba roads in the dark is a bit of a challenge considering the uneven terrain and multitude of puddles and piles of trash. People here walk as if they are walking in day light on even ground. Then there is me who stumbles around and has to walk cautiously so that I do not step right into a nasty puddle. I have noticed that my eyes have started to adjust at night. I have started to recognize different shadows so I can determine how big a dip in the road is or how deep a hole is.
I left my blow dryer and flat iron behind when I came here and there has not been a day I have missed them. For one thing, the thought of blowing hot air on my head when it is already hot in my tent does not sound appealing. Those are two things that require electricity that I can obviously live without. On the other hand, living with out my computer, phone and camera are a different story. I know that I am fully dependent on those 3 things and feel slightly lost without them. I know from experience in the field where power is usually limited that I can live without these things. When you have no other option, you cope. No electricity means you have to find ways to go about your business without it.
Living a life that is so dependent on power and with advances in technology, our lives are going to be continually changed and controlled by electricity. Living without electricity does not need to be difficult provided you chose to live your life in a way that does not require power 24/7.
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