As you know the East Coast has endured a natural disaster in Hurricane Sandy that still has many of our communities reeling. My family was one of the "lucky ones," with an 8 day power outage and 2 weeks with no phone or Internet. We spent 8 days shuttling 4 kids from home to office where there was heat and electric, and at night we learned what a godsend gas stoves are. We could at least cook (and fashion big cast iron kettles as heaters), and between charging our mobile devices in car and office, we were able to do computer work via 3G connection- by candlelight.
While I have stated loudly that the simple life sure isn't for me, I couldn't bring myself to complain while the images of my neighbors flashed across my screen, either homes flooded out, burned down, or, in many cases, washed away completely. We had Halloween cancelled. There was some inconvenience. Small losses in comparison.
No, I can't complain. But I do worry. I worry how soft our society has become when scarcity enters the picture. The road rage, deplorable behavior in gas lines (one guy was expelled from a gas station by a cop when he lost it), and hoarding, just to name a few things, make it very clear that the fabric of civilized society is a fragile one. The old Twilight Zone "The Monsters are Coming to Maple Street" comes to mind- you take away something away with no answers, and chaos can ensue. It is a far cry from my mother's stories of country outhouses and my father's of one shared bathroom between families.
One small gesture gave me some inspiration. Halloween night was rough; trick or treating was canceled by the municipality, and even if we ignored the edict the neighborhood was dark. The Ossining Community Center hastily arranged a big event for children to celebrate in costume, and I took our two youngest boys over. Mark is 5 and his big brother Gregory, 7, is on the spectrum for autism. Gregory, like many children with autism, is spooked by changes in routine, new environments, and, unfortunately, crowds. I would have to be on my toes. There was no parking and the 3 of us had to hike over from a municipal lot to the event, and it was a madhouse of hundreds of kids.
Once we entered the room, Mark got a very serious look on his face and quickly grabbed his brother's hood. "Gregory, stay with me and Daddy." And he didn't let go.
How a 5 year old boy can be so mature, aware, and intuitive fills me with awe.
The 45 year olds on the gas lines could learn a thing or two from this little boy. I certainly did.
With that in mind, there are still people out there hurting. They have lost their homes, their businesses and their possessions. Many people can't even get back into their houses to collect soggy clothes and photos.
NAR is collecting for these folks to contribute, just log onto the REALTORS Relief Foundation to do your part.
In the meantime, if you are reading this from a warm dry home, count all your blessings with great care this time around. This is, for us, a very special Thanksgiving in light of all we have seen, and I am especially grateful this time around.
You have amazing boys. Children understand so much more than we often give them credit for and Mark reaching out and holding on to his brother is a wonderful example of this. You are definitely raising awareness between them.
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