When the Lights Go Out: Finding Connection

Discovering Creativity and Community in the Dark

Steph is visiting family in Australia for a few weeks. From her Polarsteps stories and the daily gratitude posts (3 grateful things) in the app, it’s clear she’s having a great time. Apparently, she’s really living in the moment over there. Living by our Luxury Living motto.

On the other side of the world, we too were living in the here and now last week—with an experience that hadn’t reached her at all…

It was a strange experience: last Monday in Spain, we were without electricity for most of the day. During those hours, you start to realize that electricity has become a basic necessity of life. At first, you worry about your phone slowly running out of battery, switch to power-saving mode to preserve it, and try to delay the inevitable need to recharge. Then you discover that, eventually, you can’t use your phone at all. A few hours after the power outage began, the 4G or 5G signal was gone too. In other words: you could no longer make calls or go online (to read the news).

I must admit—though it sounds strange—there was also a certain charm to it. In our apartment, everything runs on electricity: we couldn’t cook, we had no hot water. In fact, we had no water at all because the building uses an electric pump to bring water upstairs. So, we filled a watering can with pool water to flush the toilet. In the afternoon, I decided to prepare for dinner before it got dark.

Electricity: we treat it as a given—but is it really?

In times of “need,” people get creative. At least, that’s what I think—but I’ll back this up with an example later. You adapt, and soon you realize you have a paella pan and a gas bottle. So that’s what we used. Mildred and I cooked a delicious chili con carne and ate it with wraps.

After dinner, we went for a walk. We couldn’t take the car or bikes—they were in the garage, and of course, the electric door wouldn’t open. During our walk, we noticed that the Irish pub still had customers on the terrace. I assume they also found creative ways to keep serving guests. We passed by some acquaintances who had also made the best of the power—and information—free time in their own ways. Quite funny to see. When it started to get dark, we hurried home so we wouldn’t have to search for everything in the dark. Our nearly 80-year-old neighbor had already lowered all his shutters out of concern…

It was very romantic to read a book by candlelight. We went to bed early. Around 4 a.m., I woke up and saw the streetlights were on again. I quickly turned the main power switch back on.

When we woke up, we could finally read the news again—and only then were we able to reconnect with family and friends in the Netherlands. That’s when we realized the “seriousness” of the situation.

For us, because the day before there had only been speculation about the cause and extent; for family and friends, who wondered why they didn’t hear from us or only got a late reply.

The news highlighted how helpful and flexible most people and organizations become in times of need or crisis. Supermarkets stayed open (though you could only pay in cash), traffic adjusted because the traffic lights weren’t working, and train stations remained open for stranded travelers to spend the night. There were no reports of looting in the news.

A funny coincidence: I’m currently reading the book Steph gave Mil for Christmas, titled Humankind: A Hopeful History (original Dutch: De meeste mensen deugen). I’m halfway through, and so far, the author examines whether the human race is fundamentally more good or more evil. Historical events like crises, wars, and natural disasters are analyzed to see whether human behavior in those situations was naturally aggressive and violent or influenced by other factors. Another fun example mentioned was a Russian scientific study to see if arctic foxes could be domesticated. The foxes were selected for temperament, and by the third generation, they started behaving more like pets. By the sixth generation, they even developed dog-like traits.

Humans, it turns out, are also primarily social beings who want to belong to a group. A striking detail: from the moment possessions come into play in life, and the need to protect those possessions arises… that’s where things go wrong. But as I said, I’m only halfway through.

The nationwide power outage (in Spain, but also Portugal and southern France) is, in my opinion, an excellent example of an emergency situation where people come together and help each other.

Have a great Sunday!

Sunny regards,

Carlo

---

Key takeaways:

• Electricity Isn’t Guaranteed – We treat power as an unquestionable part of daily life, but a single outage reminds us how fragile that comfort really is.

• Adaptability Sparks Creativity – Losing modern conveniences pushes us to think differently, improvise solutions, and rediscover forgotten skills.

• Connection in Simplicity – Shared disruptions create opportunities to slow down, bond with others, and appreciate life beyond screens and routines.

To continue your journey and make meaningful changes, here’s a book recommendation for your first step:

Life Inspiration (Book Recommendation): Humankind: A Hopeful History, here