Switching It Up (For Now)...

I love writing. It's the best form of therapy.
I wrote this after looking at a few photo albums on the NY Times website and even though this does not relate and is different genre (if you will) or what I normally write on this blog, I want my family and my friends to know I am thinking of them...

Warning: It may come as a shock (I don't know why actually), but I am proud of where I came from :-) Sue me.


Hundreds of displaced sleeping in shelters.
A day planned around waiting on line for gas.
Families in line for food.
Rummaging through piles of donated clothes.
Sitting outside in fear of looters.
Preserving the last bottle of water for when it's an "emergency".
Waking up, standing, sitting, speaking, sleeping. In darkness.
Huddled around an open gas flame for heat.
Burning furniture to stay warm.

This could never happen.

To the recently built five story home.
To the women that shop at Bergdorf's.
To the soccer moms who drive their Honda to and from the field all day.
To the commuter dads.
To the patient about to go under the knife.
To those working in skyscrapers about to sign a deal.
To the kid that just won the Spelling Bee.
To the families that eat a gourmet meal together every night.
To the girl who just got her license.
To the boy that can eat a pie of pizza in 8 minutes.
To the baby that needs formula prepared.

This could never happen in the Tri State area.
Things like those don't happen in civilized, metropolitan, "on the go" places.

We have homes, food, shelter, money.
It's not possible that one storm can desecrate it all.
A storm will spare Manhattan, after all it is the capital of the world.
A storm will understand that my house was only just built and will pass over it.
A storm will avoid destroying the train tracks, because it knows I have to go to work tomorrow.

I was not first handily affected by Sandy. To be honest, this time last week I didn't understand the severity of Sandy, but after reading and seeing pictures of destruction, of helplessness, of disparity, I now realize that our definition of "everything" in essence is nothing.
We rule over nothing. We own nothing. Here today, gone tomorrow.

All you need is love (The Beatles clearly knew what they were talking about). I believe that is the silver lining in this storm.
Unity, love and support. The three words that guide NY/NJ through every tragic moment it has been hit with.
Sandy is no exception.
Pictures of teenagers helping the trapped elderly. Of schools becoming soup kitchens and shelters for those who a week ago had it all. Families opening their doors to strangers. Marathon runners running to help clean up debris. Extension cords miles long for people to charge their phones.

It's a shame that it takes a tragedy to bring out the best in people, but it's a blessing to know that amidst the "Me Generation" the word "we" still exists.

Humbling is the word.

Even though I am no longer living in America, I am so proud to be from the Tri State area.