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WELCOME to a bright and new 2008! Well, then again, maybe not so bright. Fired up and rearing to go, lo and behold, on the first deadline-crazy Monday of the year, Eskom decides to pull the plug on the rest of us who have to work for a living.

Yes, a power outage. And here we were, thinking we had left dark and gloomy days tucked safely away in 2007.

Apparently we were wrong, because in case you didn't already know, this year we're expected to pay even more for the electricity we're not going to be receiving, so you go figure.

Indeed, yesterday's blackouts proved an unfortunate surprise.

But aside from being unexpected, it was also an event which just about somersaulted our day into a catastrophic episode.

Despite the fact that I had every intention to leave work early to get a head start on relaxing in front of the TV (okay, so I'm not quite ready to let go of holiday fever just yet), here I am, typing away way after sunset.

And that after spending the day speeding back and forth between our Cape Town head office, where electricity was free- flowing, and our base in Tokai, in an effort to  complete the very newspaper you're reading right now.

I must say, most of us were at the point of believing we were being punished for something we did in a past life.

But while discussing the whole Eskom dilemma with a colleague and friend, we figured that amidst all our complaining we might as well just recognise an important life lesson while we were at it: we came to the realisation that these forced black-outs also serve an important metaphor to life.

It teaches us that despite the fact that you could have the best of intentions, nothing is ever guaranteed.

And although this might sound slightly depressing, the truth remains that the rug ? as with energy supply, I guess ? could be pulled out from under your feet at any point, forcing you to make do with what you have.

That is life. It is all about swimming when the chances for sinking are pretty great. But it is in keeping afloat where the real value lies.

And when you think about it, this is a great model to use while going into 2008.

Sure, things are bound to get messy as they always do, but we need to realise that it is in the way we handle our hardships that we gain everything.

Sometimes the light goes out around us, especially during crucial times, but it is at this point when we have to look inside to remain focused on the matter at hand.

We win some, we lose some. We part from those we love and unite with ?others. But the one thing that remains constant is how we handle ourselves and that is what determines success in any situation.

At least at the end of our crazy day we could thank Eskom for something: they might not be fulfilling their role as national energy supplier, but at least they're revealing to us all important lessons to help us along the way.

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