The Electricity Question - Jessica Barksdale Inclán

I have been given and have purchased for my mother a product that has had two serious gaffes. My GPS and hers have generated a couple of emails from the company, and now comes news that the battery might burst into flame. Whoo-wee, that's something to think about while lost. Not only can't you find Cousin Robert's house but your car is on fire.

There is some kind of metaphor here, but I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it's about technology, but I love so many technological things, I don't even want to go there. there's no way (bad battery or not) that I can do without them. Maybe the metaphor about the journey--it's the journey not the destination? Maybe it's about how everything ends in flames, but I don't like that either.

So the bottom line is--my GPS is okay, hers is not. Her machine is going on a journey home, the post office guiding its way. Ironic, that. Maybe no metaphor, but we can have irony.

When Michael and I were in Spain and France for our honeymoon earlier this month, we rented a car and drove around. In order to do so without a map the size of the car, I downloaded Europe. Who knew that one could download Europe? It was a very long download, and the good news is that it worked. We navigated small Spanish towns, the French boarder, and the South of French coast, British-accented GPS telling us where to go the entire time.

We also brought with us several adpaters and converters for our stay. I needed my computer, thus, I needed a block that was like a brick. Of course, I also needed such things as phone and iPod chargers. My suitcase weighed a ton because of converters and such, but at least I was able to blow dry my hair.

I find it interesting that electricity speaks in different languages. Why the inability to communicate? Isn't electricity electricity? In any case, I was prepared for the language difficulty and nothing exploded during our stay.

My older son is here visiting, and all sorts of electrical appliances have popped up on the counter from their hiding spots. The tea kettle. The waffle iron. the blender. Who knew he needed so many things to exist? Also slightly involved was the microwave, though that's in the wall. He also plugs in his phone all over the place, and I find chargers in various locations.

The question is--can we live without juice? The answer is we need the right amount. Not too much (or things explode) and not too little (no tea or smooth hair). We need it when we travel and we need it when we have lost our way. We need it at night or when the skies turn dark and rain falls.

Just pray for no recalls.

(As a PS--I'm going to give away some books this month as I have another temporary overflow. Please write to me through my web site--click on my name below--and I'll send you a copy of Being With Him, the mass market version. Or, if you have a request, I can see if I can did up one of those. For US residents and the first ten respondants only.

I also have eight coupons for eight copies of my ebooks--Where I am Now, The Magic of Longing, The Tables of Joy, and The Perfect Lover. These I can offer to any reader, amnywhere. Please look at my ebooks on my site, tell me which you are interested, and if you write early and one is availabel--it's yours.)

Jessica Barksdale Inclan