Time to sit in the dark and ponder

Some things I thought about while sitting in the dark after the ice storm.

•Flashlights and kerosene heaters are wonderful inventions. Having new batteries and fresh kerosene is even better.

•I had forgotten just how quiet the night can be.

•You don’t miss television as much as you might expect.

•I’m glad the neighbors have a generator to keep them warm. I just wish it didn’t sound like they were mowing their lawn all night.

•Reading by the light of a kerosene heater feels so Lincolnesque.

•The road crews did an exceptional job keeping streets clear despite the ice, snow and fallen trees.

•We are such creatures of habit. If I had a dollar for every time I have flipped a light switch in a power-starved house, I could buy a quiet generator.

•What really matters in life has very little to do with electricity.

•I hope there’s a special place in heaven for volunteer firefighters, emergency workers and utility company employees who walk away from their homes in times of urgency to serve the community.

•A special hooray for our guests from across the nation who have brought their utility vehicles and expertise to help restore power in this outage.

•Has anyone else put food outside on these bitter winter nights to keep it fresh?

•Don’t shave in a dark bathroom.

•Apparently, Old Man Winter has something against Hodgenville’s bicentennial celebrations. An ice storm last February canceled the kickoff events and this year’s activities are in a flux because of damage at both the birthplace site and Knob Creek.

•I consider tomato soup to be comfort food. Life can’t be too bad if you come home to find someone you love has prepared a warm bowl of Campbell’s for you – even if it was heated on the grill above a kerosene heater.

Ben Sheroan is general manager of The LaRue County Herald News.