How easy it is for life to be difficult and dangerous on this planet. We should be far kinder to one another, and far more gentle with the earth herself.
The multiple threats of the megastorm coming ashore on the east coast are unimaginable to me - and apparently to others. One couple, interviewed for the evening news, are living in a mandatory evacuation area of New York City but refused to leave. Now the lobby of their building is at least four feet underwater and all power to their building is off. For drinking water, they had filled the bathtub. I was shocked at their naivete. How long do they believe it will take utility crews to restore electricity to millions of people? How long will their food supplies last, especially in their non-functioning refrigerator? How long do they imagine it will be before potable water runs from their faucets? How long do they believe it will be before grocery stores can restock food after being destroyed in flood water? If they are adults of sound mind, they have the right to take their chances, but the problem, in my not so humble opinion, is they have a toddler.
It may be weeks before electricity is restored and the water supply is no longer contaminated. What if their building catches fire or dangerous people start looting as soon as the water recedes? What if they become ill or their child becomes ill? What will they do then?
They must have made what they believed was the best decision under the circumstances. That anything could truly threaten their everyday reality and safety must have been unimaginable or they would have surely evacuated their child to safety when they had the chance. I sincerely hope the best for that family.
Sometimes human beings are not smart. I include myself as another specimen of the bumbling species. How have we managed to survive to the point of overwhelming the planet with our numbers?
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