www.kathynick.com_Winter Wonderland

One of the hardest scenes to write in Thirty Days to Glory was the one where Catherine gets trapped at home in an ice storm. No heat, no electricity, no telephone. (She hadn’t moved to the digital age, yet.) I actually felt her despair in that scene, because I remember how cold and lonely such a day can be. You feel totally cut off from everyone. Just knowing you can’t turn the tap makes you thirsty. And realizing you can’t call for help is frightening. No traffic on the road. No noise except the icy rain on the roof.

We are having a day like that today. Yet, it is nothing like that. Our electric lines are all under ground, so chances of losing electricity are slim. And although many of us are staying safely at home, we are chatting with one another on social media as if we were just in the next cubicle making plans for lunch.

So, instead of feeling lonely and isolated, today feels something like an unexpected holiday. (Even for me. I slid my way to the office in case anyone has an emergency, but the silent morning has been a gift.)

And I realized it isn’t that technology is making our lives less lonely. Our relationships are doing that. If we didn’t already love one another, it wouldn’t matter what drivel we posted on Facebook. But, I actually care what Josh is having for lunch or how Eliza’s video editing is going at home. Not because I’m a foodie or a techie. I’m just a fan of my friends. And I’m so grateful to technology that lets me connect to them even when the roads are made of ice.