What do you take for granted?

I have never lived in a home that did not have running water, electric, or heat in the Winter. Those are a few of the things I take for granted. And although my furnace has been acting up lately, at the very most, I may be inconvenienced for a day while waiting for it to get serviced. But even then, I have many options for staying warm during that waiting period - blankets, electric space heater, visiting mom, Starbucks, etc. I know that my furnace is an advanced mechanical system that is usually trouble-free, so I don't get too panicked when it occasionally needs some maintenance.

This is very different from my experience last night. One which made me realize how quickly we adapt to new technologies and then take for granted that they will always be there. Also, one which had me far more upset than my misfiring furnace. It was my internet... or lack thereof. For the entire 45 minutes that I couldn't get online, I felt as if I was cutoff from the rest of the world and stuck on a dessert island. I know! That sounds ridiculous and I'm exaggerating a lot, but I was a bit embarrassed at myself for the feelings I was having during the internet outage of 12-5-10.

I have been blessed beyond measure and tonight I am thankful for these brief interruptions in service to help remind me of this.