As I was fishtailing down my driveway, I realized why Missouri Southern decided to call off classes for the rest of the week.

The highways and main roads may have been clear, but parking lots and side streets were like driving through a pasture, which I wouldn’t advise in a Ford ZX2.

It’s been a long time since ice has affected so many people in this area. There are people living in hotels to avoid freezing-cold homes, the local Wal-Mart has bare shelves and blocks of city streets are without power.

The Watts house went black last Wednesday night. Luckily, it was for only one hour, but appreciation for electricity grew immensely among my family and me. We had prepared dinner with light bulbs and enjoyed it by candlelight. Somehow, Mom washed the dishes by hand and said the experience was “relaxing.” My dad and brother sat in the living room and shared warm memories of the golf course and Dad’s childhood. As I hovered close to the fireplace, I wondered how long we would go before driving each other nuts.

My classes were cancelled and my brother’s workplace had no power. My dad was home because he was originally scheduled off, and my mom is a stay-at-home mom. We had spent so much time away from each other, even when we were all in the house; we had some catching up conversations.

The phone still worked. I called my grandmother, who is on the same power source as us, and asked what the company had to say about our darkness. The helpful lady who spoke to my grandmother said she didn’t know when or how we lost power, nor did she know when it would return. She then hung up on my grandmother without taking her name or number to contact her when she found out anything. Perhaps she knew she would never know anything, especially about customer service, and chose not to waste anyone’s time. That’s what I’ll believe.

I’m not a nice person when my relatives are disrespected.

I do realize our house has been blessed thus far this winter. I know we’ve had it better than most who have braved the elements without heat, light or entertainment for days on end.

I sincerely feel for Dicki and Patty Lee of Avilla. This couple lost power last week and their electric company representatives said to expect the power back “sometime next week.” In the meantime, the Lees, like so many others, are relying on friends and family.

The power companies who serve our area must be going through an icy hell. Therefore, keeping patience and understanding is imperative. I’ll try not to be bitter towards the people in the customer service department and I’ll expect their best efforts. I know I wouldn’t want their jobs, so I must commend them in that aspect. We all work in our circles, hopefully we can all cooperate with each other the best we can to get through the winter.