Look on the bright side

Load shedding is no joke, especially if you are power-less over a weekend.

Although I live in Krugersdorp (at the moment at least), we were not affected at all, but according to all the tweets of people wording their displeasure about load shedding, it is evident that Roodepoort residents are very unhappy about the situation.

Unfortunately, we cannot do anything about the load shedding, but you can prepare for it and help the situation by adhering to Eskom’s warnings. I know Eskom should have made provision for enough electricity for the whole country years ago, but they did not and we now have to suffer the consequences.

To make life a little easier for you and if you can afford it of course, get a gas stove, at least you will be able to cook dinner and enjoy it by candle light. That is very romantic. You can also use the time to play darkroom with your children. We used to do it all the time when we were little. It is a lot of fun and you get to spend some time with your children.

Sit outside, weather permitting of course, with a glass of wine and enjoy some quality time with your partner. Talk about work, frustrations and anything else. Life is such a rush, sometimes you need to relax, not watch TV and just enjoy each other’s company. It is also very romantic.

Trust me, there is nothing on TV that you have not already seen or can see at a later stage. Unless you have DSTV, but there are so many repeat shows, you do not really miss anything.

One thing is for sure we all value and appreciate the fact that we are fortunate enough to have electricity. My parents had to do homework by candle light and did not have luxuries such as televisions, microwaves or take-out.

So, although load shedding is a pain in the you-know-what, look on the bright (dark) side, if you use the dark times to your advantage, it can be an enlightening experience. The one joke about load shedding goes something like this: There was load shedding over the weekend. I had to talk to my family and I must admit, they are nice people.

These are my suggestions, but I would like to hear what you do when you are left in the dark. You can make contact via facebook, tweet @RdptRecord or even leave comments on the webpage at www.roodepoortrecord.co.za