Rising from the Ashes
Survivor’s guilt is a real thing. I’m living it. My family escaped the fires and the evacuations, though we were packed and prepared to dash. Why them and not us? Who knows? The ashes touched us though, because when our neighbors suffer, we all suffer.
With that in mind I wish to offer these takeaways from the past two weeks:
Be prepared.
My fabulous vet, Dr. Jim Clark, lost all. In case of future emergencies, he strongly advised (with the kind of words newspapers don’t print) to gather everything you want to save in one place ready to go, including: cameras, photo albums, keys, movies (home and otherwise). He also advised that fireproof safes aren’t firestorm proof and to take a video of your house and all your belongings, narrated for insurance purposes.
First responders are the best.
They do the work we desperately need, putting their lives on the line time and time again. Some have said they’re just doing what they get paid to do. I don’t care, they are courageous folk.
People can be stupid.
If you are evacuated, leave and don’t go back in until it’s safe. And keep your drones out of the way. I heard stories of people spitting and swearing at officers and National Guard troops who rightfully wouldn’t let them back to their homes in the evacuated areas. Unbelievable; these people are protecting you. Grow up. And looters and gougers? They should spend eternity in the ninth circle of hell with child abusers, Vlad Putin and Harvey Weinstein.
Leadership does exist.
Seeing our local leaders take charge was inspiring and a welcome contrast to our national “tweetership.”
Sheriff Robert Giordano, Chris Coursey, Shirlee Zane, James Gore and the indefatigable Mike McGuire, spent hour after hour, day after day among their constituents, serving the people who voted them into office. How refreshing to hear these men and women speak to us in a calm, clear, insightful manner, outlining the dangers that still lie out there, and the actions being taken to alleviate those dangers. Not once did I hear any of them brag about what he or she was doing. The focus was on the people suffering, the people fighting the fires and the people working round the clock to assist the displaced and provide food, clothing, shelter and compassion; none of which proved in short supply. One only wished that this spirit of civic selflessness and true public service could be even glimpsed on a national level.
I’m glad I kept my boom box.
Pat Kerrigan, Steve Jaxon and countless others at KSRO stayed on this story like flies on you know what. They were at once empathetic, clear headed, informative and, above all, human. Tireless and articulate, they kept us informed as no other news source could. They were exceptional at providing the hard facts that often countered the many social media perpetrated myths.
Restaurant owners and food providers served us well.
We heard story after story of how they made and delivered food to shelters, to the displaced, and refused to accept payment from first responders for their meals.
Greatness can’t be bought.
What the bloviator-in-chief can’t grasp is that what really make us great is not a stupid red baseball cap. It is these myriad tiny wonders that occur every minute of every day. The tender mercies that reflect who we really are, the best part of our nature, rejecting those who would pit us against each other, and those who seek to restrict freedoms rather than embrace them.
We deserve a decent president.
Our collective actions since Oct. 8 show what amazing things we can do – together. We the people need to coalesce and reject this jackal’s bullying and divisive actions. He has proven himself unfit for any office, let alone the most powerful office in the world. Crude and craven, arrogant and petty (Which president has made the most bereavement calls? Really?), he is all the things we want our children not to be. How about we just ignore him and move on with our real lives, acting like decent people in an inclusive world? That’ll put a spoke in his wheel.
We deserve better than a lump of coal wearing a too-long tie. For most of us are something even more valuable than great – we are good. The evidence is conclusive.
