“It’s been a quiet week in Lake Wobegone,” as Garrison Keillor typically would begin his weekly segment on NPR’s Prairie Home Companion.

To borrow from that phrase, well it’s been quite a week here in Socorro. At least for me it has, culminating with an electricity outage about 11 p.m. Saturday. By the way, I was the one to first report an outage, according to the woman who answered the phone. (You’re welcome.)

Yes, I got an actual human on the phone that late at night! I was impressed; sometimes I’ve tried to contact Socorro Electric to find out about an outage—usually more importantly (to me) when it would be restored—and got nowhere. Fortunately, also, the phones were working.

In any event, I may never have really noticed the full moon had there been other lights.

Years ago, no electricity didn’t bother me so much. Sure, it was inconvenient and maybe a hassle but easy to deal with. But being dependent on oxygen changes the situation a bit. I do have an alternative, of course, in my oxygen tanks. Perhaps it’s just that I’m older and everything seems harder as I grow older. Maybe it’s more that the Lazy Boy I usually sleep in is electric powered.

One nice thing about these times is that my smart phone, which is always near me, has a flashlight so no need to hunt one down.

The event had me thinking about when I returned to the U.S. after living abroad for over two years. It seemed to me then that American homes were noisier from electric appliances than anywhere else I had been. If it wasn’t a television and/or radio, it was the refrigerator, or heater or air conditioner or whirling fan. Even fluorescent lights.

It also had me thinking about all the folks who work in and during emergency situations. EMS personnel, emergency room workers, firefighters, police. And electric coop employees. With Memorial Day just passed and knowing that military people also are honored in November, I wondered if emergency types were similarly noted. Turns out there are several days honoring various careers. Actually there also is a Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 12).  I couldn’t find a day dedicated to electric workers although there is one “Public Service Recognition Week” on May 7-13.

The list below is according to crestline.com:

January: Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

February: Thank a Mail Carrier Day; National Pride in Foodservice Week; Engineers Week

April: Public Safety Telecommunications Week (911 dispatchers)

May: Military Appreciation Month; Firefighters Day; Correctional Officers Appreciation Week; Police Week; Armed Forces Day; EMS Week; Public Service Recognition Week; Waitstaff Day

July: Personal Chef’s Day

August: Coast Guard Day; National Aviation Week

September: Firefighter Appreciation Month; “Thank a Police Officer Day”; Housekeeping and Environmental Services Appreciation Week; Construction Appreciation Week; National Food Service Employees Day

October: National First Responders Day; Customer Service Week

November: Veterans Day

Hmm. I just noticed: There is no day, much less week or month, for the news folks who also often on the scene reporting the event and keeping us informed. Too bad.

And too bad there’s no “Electricians Appreciation Day.” Thank you to the gal who answered the phone that night and many thanks to the Socorro Electric Cooperative employees who worked to restore the power, which came on about three hours later.

Gwen Roath | Guest Writer