Unless you were in a coma, I'm sure everyone in the Chicagoland area was aware of the storm that roared through around 8 AM Monday morning. After driving around town, it was clear that not everyone lost power, but Parvin-Clauss was not so lucky.

You never realize how much you rely on modern technology until you are halfway through completing a company newsletter and power shuts down around you. That was the case Monday as the Parvin-Clauss staff was rushed downstairs after the apocalyptic windstorm struck Carol Stream with an alarming force.

After everything calmed down we were all ready to go back to work, but it seemed the power outage was a little bit more than momentary. This is when it really hit home as to how much we rely on technology. Sure, we've had electricity for years, but now that it powers such important technological advances such as computers, printers, copiers and even office phones, a black out really puts everything in perspective.

Parvin-Clauss was founded in 1952 when the world was black and white and without the simple conveniences we have today. Yet, somehow the company was able to manage. We gained clients and made sales and got messages out about our company without a blog or an email newsletter blast. Monday, although a bit annoying, was a change that reminded us that at one point we did not have the opportunity of using 'Google' or advertising our company through 'Twitter' and it is no reason to forget that the job can still be completed.

Yes, we still have our cell phones and this blog was not scribbled on a piece of paper but on a laptop. Still, we should never look at these situations with a pessimism of what we can no longer use, but with the optimism of what we still have and have always had.