There is nothing like the electricity going off to remind us of just how dependent we have become upon it.

Last Tuesday night’s storms left many residents of the county and city without current for many hours. No lights, no water, no air conditioning, no fans, no cooking, no television, no microwave, nothing – just sitting in the dark or candlelight, waiting for things to return to normal.

How did our ancestors survive without electricity, I can’t help but wonder? I recall hearing my grandparents tell stories of cutting wood for the fireplace, burning oil for lights, cooking on wood burning stoves, washing clothes by hand, drawing water from a well, bathing in a bucket, etc. I am sure that life was much harder then than it is now, and they not only survived but thrived.

However, I am from a “softer” generation. I don’t mind working, but I really appreciate all the things that make the work easier. I have to admit that I am a big fan of modern conveniences, all of which require electricity.

The good Lord knew what He was doing, as always, when He placed me in this time period. Give me electricity and everything that goes with it! I think it is also worthy of noting that even He made “light” FIRST when creating the world!

Thank you, Planters Electric Membership Corporation and Georgia Power for the service your employees provided during the power outages.

It is also worthy of mention that Georgia Magazine, the official publication of Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (GEMC), is celebrating 65 years of publishing this month.

Millen native Walter Harrison, who served as editor of the publication for several years and manager of GEMC for many years, is mentioned in an article appearing in the July issue. Ray Clifton, a former Millen resident who also served as editor, is mentioned as well.

GEMC, the state trade association, was headquartered in Millen until 1975. Mr. Harrison gave me my first job at GEMC as a 16- year-old student. I typed addresses for Rural Georgia Magazine, as it was called then, after school and on Saturdays. I later worked full time for the organization as a secretary until the office was moved to Atlanta in 1975. At that time, Mr. Harrison and Frank Edenfield hired me at The Millen News, and as we often say, “The rest is history.” So, in a way, “electricity” had a role in bringing me to where am today. Just another reason I am so fond of it!

“Then God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light.” Genesis 1:3.

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Happy birthday this week to: Sidney London, Marsha Hood, Kayla Boynton, Bruce R. Lane, Matthew Goodwin, Barbara Davis, Helen Wilson, Emily Williams, Brandley Black, Harriett D. Cato, Alvin Burke, Sharon Harris, Tyler Washington and Bill Jones Jr.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Mr. and Mrs. George Dudley and Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Bennett.

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Military Active Duty List: PFC E3 Jeremy Johnson, U.S. Army, 59th Quartermaster Company, Ft. Carson, Colorado; Cpl. Adam T. Lanier, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Bt. 6th Marine Regiment, Weapons Co., Scout Sniper Platoon, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; E-4 Sr. Airman Roy Davis, U.S. Air Force, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom; Cpl. Patrick Barnette, U.S. Marines, 29 Palms, California; Sgt. Adam Demshar, 44th Signal Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq; Cpl. Lee Ogden, U.S. Marines, Camp Pendleton, CA; E5 Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Naples, Italy; Senior Airman Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Osan AFB, Korea; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, 735th Air Mobility Squadron Detachment 1 Commander, Richmond Royal Australian AFB, Richmond, Australia; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Chief Petty Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 25th Infantry Division, Schafield Barracks, Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Baghdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and SPC Charles “C.J.” Amerson, U.S. Army, Louisiana.