A Power Struggle Under The Toga

It was bound to happen sooner or later, Modern Philosophers.

My express train of positivity jumped the tracks, flipped over, and exploded into a mighty fireball.

Okay, it didn’t exactly happen that way.

I really just wanted an excuse to use this cool photo of me taken on the train tracks after my run.  However, I did have one of those days that almost derailed my Positivity Plus Plan.

To be completely honest, I can’t believe I’ve kept this idea on the rails for so long.  Today was my twenty-first day running out of the last thirty, I lifted weights, and continued to stick to my diet.

I’m somehow managing to stay upbeat even though I am exhausted and sometimes really just want to stuff my face with salt and vinegar chicken wings.

Today, though, really pushed this Modern Philosopher to the limits.

We work in pairs, and my partner is on vacation this week.  So, I figured that stress levels might increase over the course of the work day.

Monday and Tuesday went surprisingly smoothly.

Today, however, was a double humper.

It started right off the bat, and this Hump Day was relentless.  I was doing my best to keep up with the demands for my attention, but it got a little too hectic, and I felt the Positivity Express take a turn a little too quickly.

That’s when the lights went out.

I was in the middle of an urgent phone call when it happened.

It was like someone flipped a switch.

No lights, no phones, no computers.

No explanation.

The scariest part of it all?  Trying to use the restroom.

While there was emergency lighting throughout the office, the toilets were pitch black.  I kept waiting for Vin Diesel’s Riddick to leap out at me from inside one of the stalls.

Hey, crazier things have happened in public restrooms.

Luckily, this bathroom was devoid of any incarnation of Vin Diesel’s movie characters.  Which is a good thing because I’d hate to see his career in the toilet.

Sorry.  A little nervous humor there.

When the power finally came back on, maybe a half hour later, it was right back into the fire.  I had to finish the urgent matter I’d started when my day faded to black, and I didn’t wrap up that issue until 3:05.

That was when I finally took my lunch break.

Needless to say, the day was whooping my ass.

It was about 4:15 when the power went out the second time.

We never got a clear answer as to why it had abandoned us the first time, but the internet rumor was that it had something to do with a car knocking out a power line.

This time around, though, the reason for the return to the Dark Ages was more obvious.  The skies had opened and a deluge pounded down on Maine as if a higher power intended to wipe us off the map.

It was the kind of rain that would’ve had Chief Brody turn to Noah and growl, “We’re gonna need a bigger ark!”

It was beyond raining cats and dogs.  Exotic animals were falling from the skies.  It was the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine).

A couple of coworkers who had been outside when the storm materialized seemingly out of nowhere, said they heard a big BOOM! as they rushed inside to safety.

The rumor this time was that lightning had hit a transformer (hopefully, it wasn’t Optimus Prime!).

When the power came back a few minutes later, we only got a partial reboot from Amish times.  The lights were still out in various parts of the office, and not all the computers were able to function.

My monitors had power, but not my CPU.  My desk lamp and phone worked, but my section of the office had no overhead lights.

When I went to the restroom, Vin Scully jumped out at me in the dark and pounded me with facts about the Dodgers’ amazing starting rotation.  I argued that the Yankees would still wipe up the field with them in the World Series.

Vin didn’t know how to respond, and vanished back into his stall.

Power was not fully restored by the time I left for the day, but you know what was?  My Positivity Plus Plan.

I realized that the double power outages had slowed my roll towards the Dark Side, and had forced me to settle down before my stress levels ever got too high.

Perhaps the higher power (Are you there Zeus? It’s me Austin!) had sent the deluge not to wipe Maine off the map, but rather, to wash away my stress.

That idea if definitely worth some Deep Thought as I relax out on the porch, enjoying the gorgeous Summer weather, and waiting for the Yankees game to begin.

Sometimes, you can’t stop a runaway train, but there are ways to preserve your sanity and the positivity.

It was a power struggle for sure, Modern Philosophers, but I think the right side won!