A dialogue between you and your friend about load shedding

There is a dialogue between you and your friend about load shedding.

Myself     : Hey! How’s it going?

Friend      : Hey! Not too bad, but I’m honestly frustrated with this whole load shedding thing lately. I don’t know if you’re going through the same thing, but it’s been so unpredictable here.

Myself     : Ugh, tell me about it! It’s like they’re doing it randomly now, at any time of the day. One minute I’m working, and the next, bam, the lights go out. It’s hard to stay focused when you’re just waiting for the next power cut.

Friend      : Exactly! It’s so disruptive. I had an important video call yesterday, and of course, the power went out right in the middle. I had to scramble to figure out what to do. At this point, I’ve been keeping a battery pack on hand just for those moments.

Myself     : Same here! I’ve started charging everything in advance because I never know when it’s going to hit. It’s like living in a constant state of readiness. I used to have a routine, but now it feels like I’m always just trying to get things done before the next outage.

Friend      : You know, it’s weird. At first, I thought it was just a temporary thing, but it’s been going on for months. It’s making me rethink how dependent I am on electricity. There’s something a little unsettling about not being able to rely on power anymore.

Myself     : Yeah, it’s kind of eye-opening, right? It’s easy to forget how much of our daily lives rely on electricity—work, entertainment, even basic things like cooking or charging your phone. You start to realize how fragile everything can be when those systems aren’t guaranteed.

Friend      : And it’s not like they give us a heads-up anymore. I mean, I used to get a schedule or at least some warning, but now it’s just like, “Surprise, no power today!” And then I’ve got to try to figure out how to entertain myself or get work done without my laptop.

Myself     : Oh, I totally feel that! I don’t even have a backup for some things. I mean, I can’t exactly use a generator for my laptop, and my phone battery only lasts so long. And when you try to do something productive, like writing or even reading, it’s hard to concentrate when you’re constantly wondering if the lights will go out in the middle of it.

Friend      : Right? And even though I’ve tried getting used to it, I can’t stop being annoyed. There are days when I just feel like I’m wasting time, especially if it happens when I’m in the middle of something important. It’s hard to accept that I’m at the mercy of this random schedule.

Myself     : Yeah, it definitely makes you feel powerless—no pun intended! And the worst part is knowing that there’s not much you can do. You can buy a generator or invest in solar, but that doesn’t really change the fact that the system is failing, and we’re just trying to survive in it.

Friend      : Exactly. It feels like we’re being forced to adapt to a broken system. And don’t get me started on the fact that I pay for a full month of electricity, but half the time I don’t even get it. It just doesn’t feel right. People are losing so much in terms of productivity and even peace of mind.

Myself     : Yeah, the cost issue is huge. It’s like paying for something you’re not actually receiving. I think people are growing tired of the whole situation because it’s not just about the inconvenience anymore. It’s about fairness, too. The frustration builds up because it feels like the system is failing on every level, and we’re the ones paying the price.

Friend      : It’s honestly just exhausting. And it affects everything: work, family time, even the little moments where you want to relax. The unpredictability alone is enough to make anyone go crazy.

Myself     : For sure. It’s that constant undercurrent of stress. The power comes and goes, but the anxiety stays. I feel like we’ve gotten so used to just trying to plan around it, but it’s not normal, and I’m not sure how long people can keep tolerating it.

Friend      : It’s hard to stay optimistic about it. I just wish there was more clarity or accountability. Something needs to change because this “adapt and endure” mindset can only go so far.

Myself     : Agreed. It’s like we’re all trying to make do, but we shouldn’t have to just accept this as the norm. There needs to be real change, or else this just becomes the new reality, and that’s a scary thought.

Friend      : Yeah, and it doesn’t feel like that change is coming anytime soon. But I guess all we can do for now is keep coping as best we can. Stay stocked up, stay flexible… and hope for better days.

Myself     : Definitely. Here’s hoping things improve soon. In the meantime, we just have to keep rolling with it. Hopefully, the powers that be start seeing how much of an impact this is having on all of us.

Or,