segunda-feira, 29 de março de 2010

Small victories


Once in a while, I would say every 3 or 4 months, we have a black out. All of the houses and most of the streets get into the dark, with what all it means.
And I have this old habit:
If it happen after the sun set and I’m home, I go to the stairs, to see if some one got closed in the lift. If not, I return home and turn off all of my equipment. Then, I grab a bag I have ready for those situations and go down stairs, to the entrance of the building. I say there, with a flashlight, waiting for my neighbours who are returning home and have to climb all those stairs in the dark. And I offer them a candle, so that they can see their way up and, eventually, to manage to do what ever they have to do at home, if they don’t have some spare light.
Some of them ask me how they could return the candle back. I answer, joking, that the mail box would be a nice place for it, but blown up please.
When the power came back, or around 1 am if we are still in the dark, I return and go to bed.
That’s a routine I have for many years.
Some two years ago we had, on a Tuesday, another black out. And there I was, out in the dark, helping them again.
Next Saturday, when returning from work, I had the surprise of having a full box of candles in the mail box. Some neighbour wait almost a week until he or she had the chance to buy them.
I felt rewarded! Not for the candles by themselves. They are cheap and easy to get. But by the fact of he or she (I never came to know who did it) remembers that could do something for the community, even if not staying on the street in the dark.
Last week, we had another black out. Just for one hour, or so. And I hope some one will leave me another box or bag of candles. It would be one more small victory!

Texto e imagem: by me

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