January 15, 1981

It's a difficult world when you're five years old. The wind carries magic, there are ghosts in the boughs of trees, people are twice your size, and time is something you don't learn about until second grade.
Insignificant, seemingly mundane things take on grand importance. Having twenty-five cents for the grocery store is cause for exaltation. Losing that same twenty-five cents is cause for tears.
In such a world waling home from school, a brief eighth of a mile by the odometer, is a long, treacherous excursion through unexplored land, replete with deadly beasts and dangerous terrain.
Aaron lives in such a world. His forty-five minute walk home, a walk which by all rights should take ten minutes, is never boring. A few weeks ago he arrived home and, throwing his coat on the floor where it belongs, he said, "You should have seen this light I saw!"
"You saw a light?" we responded, thing of the Damascus road.
"Yeh, I was walking down the road, you know, the one that goes by that tall building; the one with the cracked window on the one side and the little hole for the cats to hide in on the other side?"
Not wishing to act as though we were unfamiliar with the town, we nodded assuredly.
"Well, I was walking down that road and way off I saw a light. I started watching it 'cause I didn't know that it was and I fell over a rock. You should see the rocks they have down there. They are beautiful! I was laying there, down by that building, you know, the one with the broken window on the side, looking at the rocks. Here, let me show you. I brought some home."
We examined the beautiful brown rocks.
"Have you ever seen rocks like this before? I think the only place in the world you can find them is down by that old building, the one with the broken window on the side. Anyway, I was gathering the rocks when I saw my shoe string was broke. So I tried to fix it but I didn't do a very good job. You know that kid in my class? I forgot what his name is - he can't even tie his shoes yet. Brother! Do we have anything to eat? I got pretty hungry walking home."
We again asked about the light.
"Oh yeh. After I put these rocks in my pocket, I saw the light again, only now it was even bigger. It was almost as big as the sun. Can it hurt you to stand in the sun? There's this kid in my class who says the sun is our enemy. This other kid told him he was stupid. Is the sun really our enemy? Have you ever seen rocks like that before? I think there's a mine down there by that old building with the broken window. Those look like gold rocks, don't they? Look how they shine when you hold them like this."
The light was mentioned again.
"Yeh, well when I stood up the light was huge. I sure am hungry. When are we going to eat? You know what this kid brought for show and tell today? His own tooth! He said he pulled it out just to get money and so he could come to school and show it to us. Brother! Why do teeth fall out? Nothing else falls out, does it?"
About that light.
"Oh, yeh, it was a train. It almost killed me. It was just a little light and then all of a sudden it was a train. You should've seen me jump out of the way. I almost jumped over that building down there, the one with the broken window on the side."
The world of a five year old is a difficult place to live. It is a difficult world for parents as well.... ~T-Stucky

January 18, 1979

The clock on the wall said 12:00 midnight. The wind was pounding against the north wall and, although the blowing snow made it impossible to see beyond the front porch, it was obviously morning. There was no electricity, the temperature inside the house was 54 degrees, and the only thing warm was the milk in the refrigerator. The burners on the gas stove were turned on and the vigil began.
Sensing that something extraordinary was going on, the short people were crazy with energy. Their actions resulted in louder spoken words.
"Keep the door closed so it stays warm in the kitchen!" "You put your hands any closer to that burner and you're on fire!" "No, it's too cold to go outside and play!" "The kitchen is no place to play tag!" The clock on the wall said 12:00 midnight.
A quick trip was made to Kuhn's store for batteries and other necessities. The wind literally took your breath away and, even with four layers of clothing, the cold was penetrating. The voice on the radio said the wind chill factor was 45 degrees below zero. Suddenly, it seemed colder.
After a meal of soup and optimistic conversation, ("The power will come on shortly, it can't stay off much longer, the new Governor won't allow it.") the afternoon is spent gazing out the window, playing backgammon, and periodically thawing out hands over the burner.
Evening comes. Dinner is prepared and eaten by candlelight. It now becomes apparent that we will have to sleep on the floor near the kitchen. The short people are ecstatic, "We don't have to take baths and we get to sleep with all our clothes on!"
Parents are not quite so moved. Water barely drips from the faucet and all the little folks decide they are intolerably thirsty. Now they all have to use the bathroom. The stool is no longer functioning. It is time for rationing. It is 12:00 midnight.
Morning comes cold and the big people plan to stay in bed; the short people plan differently. Another day begins without a bath. The air in the kitchen gets heavier. The milk, placed on the porch the night before, is frozen solid. More than once someone says, "This is ridiculous."
The phone rings with confirmation that there are others in a similar state. A certain delight comes from explaining how bad things are. "Did you hear the chill factor was 45 below? We're all sitting in the kitchen. Our toilet won't flush."
Time begins to drag. After losing four consecutive games of backgammon, the thrill is gone. A walk around the block relieves cabin fever slightly, but it pains the toes and the face. And that clock, that disgusting clock, still has both hands straight up.
The short people are preparing for prayer before the evening meal. "Put in a plug for the electricity while you're at it" they are prompted. No one is laughing. Candles flicker throughout the meal and yet one must look closely to see if it's a green bean or a piece of meat you're eating. The ice cream planned for desert is in a puddle in the now-warm freezer.
After dinner, recalling that Abe Lincoln became President by reading by candlelight, we sought similar results. A headache was our reward.
Snow is scooped from a porch, melted in a pot, and poured into the stool. "Hey," yells the short person, "We can flush the toilet!" After forty-six hours in the dark, flushing the toilet has become exciting. As the toilet flushes, the clock says 12:00 midnight.
And then, abruptly, the siege is over. Lights flash on, the furnace blows warm air, and the clock changes position. Never have light, water, and warmth been so appreciated. Never again will they be taken for granted.... ~T.Stucky