BROWN-OUT

BROWN-OUT

A strong Typhoon is expected to enter the country. Early in the night the lights are turned off. There is power interruption due to the Typhoon Santi which is expected to arrive at 10:00 p.m. It is good to cut off powers than risk many accidents from electrocution or massive neighborhood fire.

Whenever there is power interruption many people say there is brown-out. I cannot comprehend what is the basis for the term brown-out when actually every corner suddenly turns black. Black-out must be a more appropriate terminology.

But whether we call it brown or black, whenever there is power failure, people in the community somehow gets disoriented. One has to stop whatever one is doing, whether watching television, eating, reading a book or writing a letter.

Candles are searched and lighted with fear that the flame may touch a curtain flown by the wind or simply forgotten in one corner to start a dangerous conflagration.

The more affluent families turn on their generators unmindful of the noise it produced resulting to a roaring sounds as if continuously being emitted by a dinosaur.

At moments like this I find writing under the glow of a lonely candle challenging though inspiring. It makes me busy while allowing the valuable time to pass-by fruitfully.

This is also the time to recall and reminisce the by-gone days. It reminds me of past mistakes and successes as intensely as future dreams and plans.

The misnomer ‘brown-out’ could also remind us that we are brown as dust especially when such brown-out occurs a couple of days before All Saints’ Day.