lifestyle

Several years ago a hurricane battered my hometown of Naples, Fla., knocking the power out for days. Lights flickered off, air conditioning stopped humming, TVs stopped working and computers and cell phones stopped charging. As the ominous clouds cleared and the winds calmed, the power lines lay lifeless. While inside things were dark and dead, outside, life bloomed and flourished. People found comfort in the fresh outdoor air and the presence of pleasant company. Neighbors who had not talked in years gathered on front porches catching up on life, while children who usually spent their time cooped up inside playing video games climbed trees, played tag and used their imaginations together. The neighborhood buzzed with life in a way it had not in years. […]