It’s the tenth anniversary of the big blackout. That means I’ve been a New Yorker for a long time. This here is a video I made for Balthrop, Alabama’s Electricity which I offer today as a hat tip to those days without power.

My favorite memory of the blackout was actually the next day, after my power returned. I turned on the TV for a news update and found myself watching the only channel I could get—a public access culture station. They were broadcasting an old performance of the Royal Ballet and I recognized a very young version of my then new friend Georgina Parkinson dancing the lead. I had met Georgina when I was drawing American Ballet Theatre and we had become close friends.

I called her to tell her that she was on my television.

"You’re kidding?!" she said.

"No, really!" I replied. "I turned on my TV and there you were."

"You have electricity??" she squealed as if her presence on television was a side note to the big story.

I miss George and I’m grateful for her perspective on things. And I’m glad we have electricity.