Lately, there’s been a lot of people griping (myself included) and complaining about the smallest of things, such as the cost of gasoline; although I have to say that it’s already climbed to three dollars close to where I work with no intention of stopping I’m sure, but I’m straying here a bit.Anyway, people have been complaining about a lot of other things too, like: cost of rent; rules, lack of manners at the workplace, at home and those who have children; children that grow up too fast; adults not behaving like adults; diseases; the casual sex; right-wing & left-wing Republicans & Democrats; the unfounded terror war in Iraq and the hundreds of needless deaths that have occurred as a result of it; Cindy Sheehan; Pat Robertson diet shake mix; bloggers; bad bosses; etc., etc., etc.
The list goes on and on, but I think you get the idea, dear readers, but listen if you would only for one brief moment or two put your complaints and gripes aside and turn your attention to something far more serious and that is of course the aftermath of the killer Hurricane Katrina that has destroyed parts of Florida, Mississippi & Louisiana.
As most of you know, the effects of this storm have been massive, if not destructive as witnessed by many through hundreds of photographs published in newspapers & magazines, on the Internet and described first/second hand by television and radio news reporters.
Having never lived through a hurricane, I can’t say a whole lot to what it must be like, but having lived through other natural disasters since childhood like floods, tornados, blizzards and ice storms, I can hypothetically say that the feelings are similar and the losses are both physical and mental, the latter of course that sticks inside your memory for the rest of your natural life.
Those feelings of helplessness and depression seem to go hand in hand when the very idea of losing all of your worldly possessions comes into play. And the news media and/or press seem to focus on that very human instinct.
Tearful moments between former occupants of homes smashed to bits and sifting through the foundation of what either used to be an apartment building or a home for remnants of a life before the disaster seems to make for good dramatic television, as far as ratings go, but then again, it always has.
And for some reason, we as citizens of the nation eat it up; and rightfully so, because there are some of us who want to reach out and help them as they might help those of us who have been in similar situations. Being homeless is no fun; losing power and who knows when it will be restored for those that didn’t lose their homes and then of course there’s the putrid disease factor. But perhaps the biggest part is loss of life, followed by the rebuilding process.
No, you can’t replace a human being or an animal with others; they will always be with you in varied many ways, both the good times and the bad. The best part about surviving the destruction is, that you get a lot of time to reflect and pick up where you left off.
One of the scarier realizations after the disaster has hit, is the rebuilding part and how much everything will cost, but also the scam artists abound ready to coil and strike and take your money if you’re not careful enough, both legitimate and illegitimate.
A lot of different kinds of organizations & folks out there stand to make either a monetary or personal gain of some type from natural disasters including, but not limited to; Hollywood producers & film-makers; the news media, politicians; con artists; building contractors; insurance agents & their respective companies; looters; government institutions and scores of others.
If you’re interested in helping out in some form or another, either I’ve included this link that I found at online: http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/animal_environ/hurricanes/
At least it’s a start and your money will go to a good cause and it sure as heck beats spending your hard-earned dollars buying the latest Hillary Duff or one-hit wonder music CDs that will end up being sold at a used CD shop anyway and above all, it’ll make you feel good too. And isn’t that what life’s all about? Helping one another?
1 comment:
as long as i can race with jesus , everything will be allright!
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