Powerless

We had three days without power this month during a cold snap, and another several hours on a second occasion.  Although we bought a new generator a couple years ago, and tested it then, it did not work when we pulled it out to actually use it.  We could have afforded to go to a hotel, but Jack was worried about pipes freezing.  After a long day of dead ends, after the first full day without power or heat, when the house started to get cold enough to worry us a bit, he borrowed back an old generator that he had passed down to his kids.  Using the old generator, after 6 more trips to the hardware store for bits and pieces to get it running, he was able to turn on the heat and hot water in 6-hour stints to protect our pipes, which was our main concern.   We were never dangerously cold, no threat to life, and I had 6 layers of clothing and a whole pile of quilts, but you would have thought from my internal whining that I was suffering a crisis.  Which made me (finally)  think about the many people in the world who, in fact, are suffering exactly that.  I am so spoiled, and no matter how much I give to charity, no matter how "liberal" my vote, I have no idea what life is like for the countless people who, through accident of birth, are without food, water, and heat this winter., and who aren't going to see a fix after just a couple of days  And yet I, with nothing to complain about, found myself complaining at the slightest inconvenience.  I become cranky so easily at so little.  It is definitely time for me to count some blessings.