A Stricken Spring

Spring arrived yesterday, but not with the perfume of blossoms one usually associates with the season. Here, strikes by workers in the public sector entered into their third week. As a result, we continued to experience power cuts, heaps of moldering garbage and other frustrations. (Greek Strikes...)

Public transportation was supposed to be working yesterday, and since Thursday is my day to volunteer at the soup kitchen, I got ready to go to Athens. I walked to the metro station nearest my home and to my disappointment, I discovered it closed. "Okay, I'll spend the time working on the computer," I thought. I had a lot of writing to do. No sooner did I turn on my monitor when the power went out. It stayed out for three hours. I ended up doing chores around the house, and I'm ashamed to say I complained the entire time.

New morning, fresh thoughts. God is in control. Nothing happens that He doesn't allow. I knew there had to be a lesson in this nasty blow to our amenities. It didn't take me long to find several:

1. Never take anything for granted. (a given)
2. Be mindful of waste. Trash multiplies like a smelly hybrid of Tribbles & Gremlins. Convenience food packaging and convenience items contribute the most to this monster.
3. Contrary to popular opinion, writing with pen to paper, instead of keyboard to screen, does not hinder your flow of thoughts.
4. You can cook a meal on one tiny gas burner, just pretend you live in a jungle.
5. Reading by candlelight is both restful and rewarding.

Concerning 5, I must admit, when the power returned, I felt a twinge of regret. It's as if electricity obligates me to get up and do something more "productive". It's like what Peter Parker's uncle told him in the first Spiderman movie: "With great power comes great responsibility." Hmm. I wonder if the workers at the power company know this.

Dirty Tuesday

Aghia Para-stinky 3/08, L. Trecroce

I knew I was taking a risk, but I had to. Of course I prayed before I went. Have you looked at the above photo and guessed that I risked my health by going outside? Well, yeah that too. P U! But no, I was talking about using the elevator in our apartment building to run my groceries upstairs. I risked the chance of getting stuck in a blackout.

Here in Greece, public sector workers have been on strike for over a week, protesting pension reforms. Employees of the electric company, DEH, viciously instituted unannounced "rolling" blackouts that have wreaked major economic havoc and resulted in deaths. No electricity, no traffic lights or street lights. We saw a bad car accident on a major thoroughfare en route to my in-laws yesterday. And one woman took a fatal fall down a ravine after a sudden blackout caused her to lose her bearings on a bridge. Hundreds of individuals and businesses are suing DEH. The government is basically twiddling its thumbs.

The strike reminds me of the following poem by Walt Huntley of Ontario, Canada:

IF GOD SHOULD GO ON STRIKE

It's just a good thing God above has never gone on strike.
Because He wasn't treated fair on things He didn't like
If He had only once sat down and said "That's it --I'm through.
I've had enough of those on Earth; so this is what I'll do.
I'll give my orders to the sun, cut off the heat supply,
And to the moon, give no more light and run your oceans dry.
Then, just to really make it tough and put the pressure on,
Turn off the air and oxygen till every breath is gone."

Do you know He would be justified if fairness were the game?
For no one has been more abused or treated with disdain
Than God--and yet He carries on supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace and everything--for free.
Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go,
But what a deal we've given God whom everything we owe.
We don't care who we hurt or harm to gain the things we like,
But what a mess we'd all be in if God should go on strike.

Kesariani 3/08, L. Trecroce

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