6 November, '08: Big events and little dramas

Here is a beautiful species of protea, the national symbol of South Africa, to tuck into the buttonhole of Barack Obama, the new President of the US of A!

But the big events of the week - the US election, the formation of a new opposition party in South Africa, the failing negotiations to settle the Zimbawean tragedy- played a poor second fiddle to my own little crisis. Oh, dear blogger chums all over the world, your friend at Thatchwick is very small-minded, indeed!

An electricity fault at the local substation had my neighbourhood block and the traffic lights at the intersection without power for nearly three days. As historical events unfolded elsewhere, I was more concerned about farming out the frozen goods in my freezer, throwing away the contents of the fridge, champing at the bit about no battery on my PC, a dead cell phone, no security lights or pool pump and cold showers. Horror of horrors, I could not blow dry my hair!

On an academic note, the sociologist, C Wright Mills, writing in the 50's called things like this the intersection between personal biography and history. In my case, I am ashamed to say my little history took priority over the bigger picture!