Just as those watching the devastation of the recent Asian tsunami, we were rendered powerless... literally...to do anything about our situation.

Obviously, the inconvenience caused by some broken tree branches and a few nights shivering under the covers cannot compare to the deaths of more than 170,000 people. But we were certainly reminded once again how dependent on modern conveniences we have become and how we take our modern lifestyles for granted.

In my family's case, our house was without power for fewer than 10 hours. But we were forced to suffer through a couple of days of no cable TV and no Internet access.

Though I managed to find an old antenna to attach to the television, all I could view were two stations, 10 and 12. It certainly cut down on the channel surfing.

Businesses and health-care facilities faced greater concerns than those at my house. With the loss of business and potential food spoilage, merchants had reasons to be uneasy. Hospitals and nursing homes had the care of many people to consider.

Though going without can be frustrating, it is always encouraging to see people come together in times of need. Utility crews, locally and with the big power companies, worked tirelessly to return electricity to our homes.

We are grateful for their efforts. Now we may appreciate them more and grumble a bit less when we pay our bills each month.

Perhaps we should look at situations like the recent ice storm as blessings rather than curses. Often we become too self-involved, too petty. I offer a recent case in point.

I decided to do something useful with one of my days off from school, so I took the blades off the kitchen ceiling fan to give the thing a thorough cleaning.

As I removed the bolts from the housing, one of them fell, struck the chair on which I was standing and rattled out of sight.

I didn't worry much about it at the time because I figured it would be easy enough to find later. After all, where could it go?

I am still wondering where it went. Apparently, this particular bolt had the ability to open the back door and escape because it certainly no longer resides in my kitchen. I tore the place apart trying to find that runaway bolt, spent a good three hours late into the night.

I thought I could out-stubborn that sucker. But I lost.

I eventually went to bed, and I resumed my search the next morning. I finally broke down and visited the local hardware store, where I found a replacement for 10 cents or so.

The good news is, I was forced to look under my refrigerator and range. There was an entire dust bunny civilization existing under those two appliances. But no bolt could be found.

I have to be honest; I am still looking. I have not given up. Is that sick or what? I'd have to say I have a knack for sweating the small stuff.

I still sweat some of the bigger stuff, too, and recent items in the news have led me once again to consider just how crazy things have become.

I read, for example, that the city of Wichita plans to sell weapons police have taken from criminals back to the public-despite howls of protest from the men and women in blue.

Does this idea not sound insane? Yes, the city could profit a few bucks, but imagine the message this move would be sending to the public: "Guns don't kill people-Wichita city council members do. Or, at least they'd like to help."

I also read recently of Wichita ministers gathering to pray that BTK would surrender. I believe God works in mysterious ways, but I'm not sure law enforcement is one of them.

These are the same preachers who have been working so hard for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and, if I understand the senate bill correctly, the legitimacy of any union that does not include a marriage certificate.

Ironically, the state leaders who are most active in pushing this bill, intended to place the issue before Kansas voters in April, are the same ones who claim to want to keep government out of the lives of their constituents.

I'm left scratching my head, wondering why banning gay marriage, something already illegal in Kansas, is such a monster priority that it could be rushed through the legislature in a few days.

This is the same group of politicians, mind you, that could not come to any sort of consensus on school finance last year. Wouldn't a comprehensive education bill do more to protect Kansas kids than a ban on gay marriage?

I was amused by some lawmakers' responses to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' 2005 budget proposal, which made no mention of the school funding issue.

After all, the Senate and House ignored her ideas last year. Why should she spend time "spitting in the wind" again this year?

I thought it was a brilliant move, perhaps designed to coerce the legislators into doing their jobs.

After all, do we really want to leave the operation of our schools in the hands of judges in Topeka?