Power Outage

The Los Angeles area had a power outage that affected the CBD and extended from the San Fernando Valley to Torrance. I was chatting with my friend Rae who was telling me about her experience. She's at a satellite location and wanted to know what was causing the problem (I work at headquarters). In the middle of our chat, the power in my building went out and with it 1-1/2 hours of unsaved work. Ugh, I could've kicked myself silly.

It was so pitch black, I couldn't even see my hands. The office grew eerily silent as everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and no one dared move. I kept expecting some semblance of light to stream through via a (Yea, here's where you're gonna think I'm crazy) nightlight or something. Anything! How about the Exit signs over the doors? I'm in the basement. No windows. Pitch black. And absolutely no light - not even from a bloody sign!

In the darkness I tell Twi, "Girl, we need to bring flashlights. What if we had to evacute? It's pitch black and we can't see a f'ing thing!"
T: "Yea. They're supposed to provide us with flashlights, though."
"Who are they?"
T: "Management."
"Hello!! We are alone. There is no manager to be found. They're also in darkness. Do you think I'm waiting, to be left like this again, on the premise that flashlights are to be provided????"
T: "Oh....I guess not. Okay. I'll bring a flashlight."

Power came on about five minutes later, but the eeriness wouldn't leave me. I packed my bag, locked everything up and waited. We were instructed not to leave our immediate department and to suspend computer activity as we were operating on emergency power. The rest of the afternoon progressed slowly and there wasn't much to do.

I started thinking about how some people will stick to something because it's the principle that others are supposed to do A, B or C. I'm more the take charge personality. I'll learn from an experience and vow to not repeat it. I'm not counting or waiting on anyone.