Cold snap jitters: Paranoia or PTSD?

As we held our breaths, awaiting last Thursday’s cold front, I probably wasn’t the only person in Dripping Springs who was looking back to last February’s “Snowpocalypse.” Okay. I’ll confess. I had been buying an extra case of water every week. I also was unpacking my heaviest sweaters, and yes, our family invested in a small propane generator.

We’re also waiting in line to have a much larger generator installed.

Our pantry is stocked with all sizes of batteries and boxes of “just add water” gourmet dishes and we have an oversupply of firewood — just in case. (Please note: We did NOT stockpile toilet paper. Were we daring to walk on the wild side when we didn’t join this potty panic?)

So, what was fueling this unusual behavior in our house last week?

Were we watching too many weathercasts, too many news shows? Were we too eager to believe local meteorologists? Or were we simply haunted by the memory of last February’s storm?

Snowmageddon of 2021 was serious stuff for all of us, more so for the families of the approximately 200 who lost their lives last year. When I think of those we lost, my heart breaks.

I also am angry and feel abandoned by those responsible for keeping my home and all homes in the state -- large and small -- comfortable, no matter what the weather. However, it seems someone with a lot of power was asleep at the switch when it came to ERCOT. Don’t our taxes pay the salaries of those responsible for our electricity, safety and well-being?

Please remind me. Isn’t representing a constituency (large or small) isn’t only about sending out mailers and posting yard signs and then prancing around our state or national capitol during the lawmaking body is in. Representing a constituency isn’t just about fundraising. It does mean taking care of the business of health and safety, of educating our kids while keeping our schools and public spaces safe.

Representing the people means being smart enough to pass legislation that assures all Texans have access and are well-connected to available technology, that roadways employ the latest and greatest in safety technology and that our state agencies are operating for the maximum benefit of Texans.

But back to paranoia versus PTSD,

Because of the absence of electricity and water last year, having to melt snow on our propane grill in order to use our bathroom did leave me a bit paranoid. You see, I hate to be cold, and we all spent days under the weight of all the blankets we could summon. I felt abandoned, that none of us were really valued. Is this what Armageddon feels like? Are we all left to survive if we can?

To stay connected, we had a battery-powered radio. It was difficult to get reading done, even with candles, coats and gloves, and no one in the house could connect to the internet because our wi-fi as well as our providers were out of service.

But I also think the lack of preparedness by our state’s leadership and ERCOT caused many of us to suffer from PTSD — and shame on them, all of them…and as a reminder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as a mental disorder that one can develop after exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse or other threats on a person's life. Being so cold, having the activities of daily life interrupted and not knowing when — if ever — life would get back to normal seems to qualify.

Even now, should last February ever happen? It’s the 21st century, for heaven’s sake. We’ve put men on the moon. We’re all about to drive electric cars and we have phones capable of awakening us, reminding us of appointments, closing the garage door, connecting to anyone, anywhere, anytime and so much more.

There’s no longer room for lame excuses, like the ones we heard after the storm last year…and I’m not willing to accept lawmakers spending my hard-earned money, passing ridiculous laws of all sorts rather than assuring me and every Texan of enough clean water to drink, fresh air to breathe, good schools, safe streets, enough food for the hungry, the best health care available and enough electricity to keep our homes warm in cold weather and cool in summers that seem to get longer and hotter every year.

We’ll be going to the polls soon. I, for one, plan to spend this month learning as much as I can about each candidate, their priorities, their plans if they are elected and if they are committed enough to keep Texans safe, comfortable, well and secure. We deserve nothing less…and certainly not the longlasting stress generated by last February’s storm.