Naomi is an author, a journalist, a letter-writer and a mama. Her blog is like a well-worn scrapbook, bulging with ticket stubs from far-off places, dispatches from Melbourne life, photographs of the lovely and the absurd, letters from strangers, creative inspiration, fables and dreams, and treasures uncovered. Follow Naomis' blog here
Hurricane Sandy. The day after
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Yesterday, someone posted this on Twitter:
"911 is not answering. our super is trapped in the parking garage and needs help. 90 west st."
And suddenly, all the way over here in Melbourne, Australia, where it was 30 degrees, faintly breezy, and the courtyard was perfumed with jasmine, Hurricane Sandy became very real indeed.
Is it just me, or do you feel like the world just can’t catch a break lately, too? Earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards, volcanic ash clouds (remember Eyjafjallajokull?), hurricanes (“Frankenstorms!?”)… these events crash with monotonous regularity onto our television screens, where already we witness the almost-permanent states of drought, famine and war in many other parts of the world.
I am not a person of faith, but it really does seem like something or someone, somewhere, is trying to tell us something. And it or they are yelling.
And then I wonder: are these ‘disaster’ events really happening more often these days? Or is it just that technology is now so advanced and globally available that we can’t ignore or avoid them any more? I used to live in New York so I have a lot of friends there. Yesterday, their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds were awash with stories and images of Hurricane Sandy.
Perhaps the most chilling, even above the winds and floods, was a photograph of the New York skyline, taken by a woman who lives downtown. It was night, and the iconic buildings were barely visible. The blackout had rendered The-City-That-Never-Sleeps silent and still. Yet inside that appearance of stillness was a great turbulence, and it didn’t take long for us to learn of the ruined homes, lost property, injuries and even deaths that Sandy had left behind.
When John Donne wrote “No man is an island” all those years ago, he was referring to an inherent state of being. Just by being human, he said, we were connected, whether we wanted to be or not. Technology confronts us with the reality of this statement. Just search #Sandy on Twitter or Instagram and you’ll see what I mean.
I will sit by the phone and computer today, waiting to hear back from some of my own friends in New York. Like that darkened city skyline, their silence is more frightening than any raging winds.
How are YOU faring today? Let’s stay connected.
ps. That super made it out alive. I read this tweet this morning: the water began to recede and he was able to force the garage door open. thank you for your concern
