It's raining...really raining
Everything changes once you have children, yes, I mean everything.
The path of hurricane Katrina is here. It's gonna be a very rainy day. As much as I love a good old fashioned rain-all-day-never-stops rainy day, this one feels a little bit different. Not simply cause I have two 3 year olds and can't curl up all day with a cup of tea and read my fabourite chick-lit, and not cause we'll end up a little shack whacky (even though I was making promises at 7 AM to go outside to jump in the puddows), but rather cause of *this* rain.
After reading, hearing and seeing what Katrina has done to some of our US neighbours, it really makes me think. How would I feel, what would I be doing if I had been evacuated from my home, told not to return for days (weeks?) simply cause (1) there is nothing left and (2) it is too dangerous. My first thoughts race to the kids, would they be ok?
I have heard two interviews on the radio with people directly affected. On TV - the first was an older couple, their house completely demolished right down to them only being able to find a bottle of wine and some ceramic cat ornament, and nothing else. But, through a few tears and a quivering chin, they were able to say we are OK, they have each other, they knew their families are OK, the saddest thing to the woman was the loss of her family photos. They will re-build, even though at the moment they have no where to go. Where DO people like them go?? The other was on the radio, an older gentleman trying to explain his situation between sobs. He has lost his wife. The last time he saw her was just prior to the storm and she went to check on something/someone (didn't quite get that part) and asked him to take care of the children and the grandchildren till she returned. He hasn't seen her since. The interviewer was terrific, offering to help, asking his name, her name, anyone who they might know to contact him by blurting out his cell phone # on the radio (how generous is that?). I am listening to this poor man who didn't care that he and his family were SITTING ON A FLOATING CAR/ROOF but that he lost his wife. He did manage to say he was gaining strength from being able to hug his children and his grandchildren. I lost it, I was crying, tears flowing into my coffee. I have no clue how I would manage, but i have to think we would, somehow. I sincerely hope both those families can get through this, as well as the millions of others who are affected.
To mirror Cali Kay's comments, I am also a little put off at those who compare this to the December 2004 Tsunami disaster. I realize, perhaps it is all relative to one person directly when they lose their home and family but 'on the whole' I can only hope that we (as a society) can be a little bit thankful that the # of deaths are drastically less than the 150 000+++ that was felt from the tsunami. This in thanx to being forewarned. I agree with Anna's comments on Cali's post, there was warning. This warning system saved thousands, hundreds of thousands, unlike the total surprise of the tsunami.
Holy shit, I am emoting a little bit too much after only one cup of coffee. But, instead of having my second at the moment, I think we will now go outside to jump in the puddows.
AMENDMENT (two hours has passed) : I don't want to come across in any way that I think the hurricane is any less of a serious matter as was the tsunami. I guess I am thankful that thousands of lives were saved, but I am very aware of the tremendous devastation that has occurred. I have been listening to the radio off & on all morning. There are constant mentions about all the rain we are getting which may cause some flooding on the freeway and OMG the horrors, they may have to close a lane or two which will make traffic, esp. rush hour a horrific experience. Horrific? That the commuters have to take a different route home? Or that they may be an hour or two late getting home? Yes, "horrific" is how the not-so-bright traffic lady put it. When I see the picture on the front page of the newspaper and a major city in the US is entirely under water and there is mention that residents may not get to return to there homes for months?? Now that is what I call horrific, not the fact that Beloved may not be home for dinner, at least we are appreciative enough to still have our home.
The path of hurricane Katrina is here. It's gonna be a very rainy day. As much as I love a good old fashioned rain-all-day-never-stops rainy day, this one feels a little bit different. Not simply cause I have two 3 year olds and can't curl up all day with a cup of tea and read my fabourite chick-lit, and not cause we'll end up a little shack whacky (even though I was making promises at 7 AM to go outside to jump in the puddows), but rather cause of *this* rain.
After reading, hearing and seeing what Katrina has done to some of our US neighbours, it really makes me think. How would I feel, what would I be doing if I had been evacuated from my home, told not to return for days (weeks?) simply cause (1) there is nothing left and (2) it is too dangerous. My first thoughts race to the kids, would they be ok?
I have heard two interviews on the radio with people directly affected. On TV - the first was an older couple, their house completely demolished right down to them only being able to find a bottle of wine and some ceramic cat ornament, and nothing else. But, through a few tears and a quivering chin, they were able to say we are OK, they have each other, they knew their families are OK, the saddest thing to the woman was the loss of her family photos. They will re-build, even though at the moment they have no where to go. Where DO people like them go?? The other was on the radio, an older gentleman trying to explain his situation between sobs. He has lost his wife. The last time he saw her was just prior to the storm and she went to check on something/someone (didn't quite get that part) and asked him to take care of the children and the grandchildren till she returned. He hasn't seen her since. The interviewer was terrific, offering to help, asking his name, her name, anyone who they might know to contact him by blurting out his cell phone # on the radio (how generous is that?). I am listening to this poor man who didn't care that he and his family were SITTING ON A FLOATING CAR/ROOF but that he lost his wife. He did manage to say he was gaining strength from being able to hug his children and his grandchildren. I lost it, I was crying, tears flowing into my coffee. I have no clue how I would manage, but i have to think we would, somehow. I sincerely hope both those families can get through this, as well as the millions of others who are affected.
To mirror Cali Kay's comments, I am also a little put off at those who compare this to the December 2004 Tsunami disaster. I realize, perhaps it is all relative to one person directly when they lose their home and family but 'on the whole' I can only hope that we (as a society) can be a little bit thankful that the # of deaths are drastically less than the 150 000+++ that was felt from the tsunami. This in thanx to being forewarned. I agree with Anna's comments on Cali's post, there was warning. This warning system saved thousands, hundreds of thousands, unlike the total surprise of the tsunami.
Holy shit, I am emoting a little bit too much after only one cup of coffee. But, instead of having my second at the moment, I think we will now go outside to jump in the puddows.
AMENDMENT (two hours has passed) : I don't want to come across in any way that I think the hurricane is any less of a serious matter as was the tsunami. I guess I am thankful that thousands of lives were saved, but I am very aware of the tremendous devastation that has occurred. I have been listening to the radio off & on all morning. There are constant mentions about all the rain we are getting which may cause some flooding on the freeway and OMG the horrors, they may have to close a lane or two which will make traffic, esp. rush hour a horrific experience. Horrific? That the commuters have to take a different route home? Or that they may be an hour or two late getting home? Yes, "horrific" is how the not-so-bright traffic lady put it. When I see the picture on the front page of the newspaper and a major city in the US is entirely under water and there is mention that residents may not get to return to there homes for months?? Now that is what I call horrific, not the fact that Beloved may not be home for dinner, at least we are appreciative enough to still have our home.
posted by nancy at 9:03 AM
3 Comments:
Nancy, I hear you. I saw the actual interview of the man that lost his wife last night. And I was just bawling. And that is only one story. After the Tsunami, I had lots and lots of terrible dreams and what would I do type of questions. But, now after Katrina has hit, I still feel just as empty, with the what would we do and how would we cope. I can only imagine the devistation. And I can't believe that someone is complaining about the rain here or that it is horrific! There is so much more worse that can happen than being home late.
Anna
A good way to put things into perspective. Both from your own little corner of the world (can't jump in puddows), to the lack of comprehension when attempting to compare this to the tsunami. The latter I believe is primarily a case of those of us in NA not being able to mentally put ourselves into a place like Thailand, as opposed to New Orleans. We look at a place like NO and can easily imagine the obstacles we would face in having to deal with the aftermath, yet looking at washed out villages in Thailand, we likely still think of it from a tourist perspective.
It is so sad, so horrible.
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