The other day I came across a couple of websites of Americans who have chosen to live without electricity. Apart from the question how they can post blogposts without electricity, I think this is great! These people grew up with fridges, washing machines, and TVs, and are now convinced that life without them is more relaxing.
In Yemen, many people live (partly) without electricity, but they don't do this out of conviction. They wish there were no power-cuts, and whoever can afford it uses a generator. Some people even convert their fridges to be used with a gas-cylinder to keep them going.
I don't mean to say that one way of life is better than the other - there is absolutely nothing wrong with sensible use of electricity - but it should make us think about things that are truly important. Like one of the websites stated: Mankind was able to survive without electricity for thousands of years, so why are we so dependent upon it now? Independence means to be able to survive without electricity and to have the knowledge to do this - even if you happen to live in a place where you don't have to worry about the power-supply.
Isn't that inspiring?
