01 November 2012

"The Perfect Storm"

I was annoyed at the usage of "The Perfect Storm." That made it sound like a good thing. But really, for a lot of people in my neighborhood, it seemed that.

We didn't  lose power, internet, water. Nothing of my boyfriend and mine was damaged - we were so lucky. Everyone had a few free days off of work - in fact, if you head out, you'll notice all the bars are packed mid-day.

My job was in full effect - we were working the entire time. Normally we can work at home, and once the electricity went down in our building downtown (thus, killing our servers), we switched to using gmail and skype to communicate and worked offline. It kind of worked, a lot better than most would think. It was incredibly difficult to concentrate - esp as the wind was whipping around outside, as we listened to NPR and heard the horrifying stories of what had happened. I could barely concentrate.

My aunt and uncle lost their beautiful house, right on the water. They figured water would come in, so they stacked stuff up on high - not realizing the power of the water that nothing was safe, even things up high. The water came in, flooding, knocking down walls, taking away the floor boards, windows. My aunt lost irreplaceable things, jewelry, so much. It was so sad. Their house is destroyed and will probably be condemned.

Lower Manhattan still doesn't have power. The Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel are both still closed, with water inside. Many of the subway lines aren't open. Cell phones are bad for everyone. Some people can't drink their water. It is horrible.

And it gets worse, trees fell on people, killing them. 100 houses in Breezy Point, burnt to the ground. So much devastation...

An acquaintance posted on Facebook that Hurricane Sandy was "boring." They didn't lose power or internet or get flooded. What, you think devastation is exciting? Obnoxious.

The NYC Marathon is still happening this weekend. To be honest, I feel conflicted. I am excited to run - but there is so much devastation and sadness, it's hard to send your mind there and be as excited about it - esp when my aunt and uncle lost their home. They came and watched me run the marathon a few years ago, and Aunt Patti is definitely my favourite aunt (and always has been).

What can you do? What can you say to someone who just lost almost everything physically they have? She barely got out - waded in out in waist-high water. I'm so glad she has her life...but in a way, it seems weird to think, "Yay, I'm running a marathon."

So I'll celebrate. I'll think of her while I run and dedicate my run to her. I've dedicated runs to people in physical pain before (my grandfather, my grandmother) but this time, I'll dedicate what I do for her.

I better run a 3:14 now, ha!

2 comments:

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I just discovered your blog! I am glad you made it safely through the storm. I just blogged about it this morning. I really enjoy your blog :)

Mia said...

Cherie, so sorry to hear about your aunt and uncle--how awful to lose your home. I hope that at least some things are salvageable.
I think you should run the marathon! I'm no fan of Mary W., but I think she's right that it's a chance for New York to shine and heal and show its resilience. The race is such a big deal for those who are first-timers or are doing it for very personal reasons, that it would be a huge disappointment if it weren't to happen. And you paid for it, so you might as well run a 3:14!
See you at mile 12...