I was in the middle of a conversation with a client when the phone rang at 5:13 PM. It was such a surprise to me that I had to look at my co-workers to make sure that I wasn’t imagining it. The certainty came when my client said, “It looks like your phone works. You should probably pick it up.”
And that’s when I knew that Irma’s direct impact on my life was over. Now, I just have to do all the assignments that are due on Monday, and make-up all of the tests that I missed because of Irma are on Monday. So I’m stressed, but I’m grateful that this is all I have to deal with when it could’ve been so much worse.
I will admit that that I sweat through Irma a lot more than I was expecting to. And that’s mostly because Irma decided to cut my power at some point. While I had prepped a list of things to-do in case the power went out, and I ended up doing only one-eighth of the list that I developed. Part of that is because Irma hit my part of Florida a little bit weaker than we expected (which was very fortunate) and the other part of that is because I was not as motivated to do most of the things that I should’ve done.
When the power went out, I let out a little huff because I had put loaded potatoes into the oven and the cheese had only started to melt. But then I remembered the new fall candles I had just bought, and I was so excited that I lit way too many. I know that because my mom ended up blowing out one-third of them.
The fun began after all the candles were lit. All of my sisters and I pulled out the old board games we used to play, and cards, and also Uno. That night, it was like going back to when I lived in Chicago, because this is how I passed a lot of time back there. It was great to be in the moment with them, because they didn’t have the option to avoid me by looking at a text on their cell phone or playing Roblocks on their iPads because of the storm.
It was nice. And it was even nicer when the power came back the next day, because I ended up not sleeping that night. It was way too hot for me, which probably makes me sound spoiled. That is the truth though, I am spoiled. I live in a great place, where I’m able to work for what I have, and I’m surrounded by amazing people who I love and I love me too. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
Now, I’m studying and working, and hoping that things get better for those who may not be as fortunate as I have been. I believe in karma, so as a result of sending out positive energy, I’ll end up getting that positive energy back too. That can be done through volunteering time, or if you don’t have that time, you can donate money to causes that you care about. One way I’ve done that is through the American Red Cross. While it’s little because I’m a college student, and while I wish I could’ve put in the time instead, it’s what I can do now and that little could go a long way and make an impact.
Love Always,
Kristi My♥
♥
Kristi My Dao 