Editorial

I have never been so affected by a natural disaster in my life. I have seen hurricane damages before, yet from the safety of another state. I have witnessed 9/11/01 attacks, but didn’t have any understanding of the emotional or physical effects. The only effect I felt was higher security at the airport. The tsunami earlier this year had no bearing on me: I’d never visited those countries. I felt sorrow at the loss of life, and the devastating physical affects the tsunami had on land, but no true thought of how it affected me directly.

But Hurricane Katrina has affected me deeper. I have a friend/co-worker who was with her dying mother through the hurricane and its initial aftermath. The same friend had to hike through flooded waters to safety, uncertain about her future, her childhood home, her family, and her city of New Orleans. I’m not sure when she’ll be coming home to Austin. I have another friend/co-worker whose parents waited out the Hurricane in their attic and watched the flood waters rise almost over their Yukon SUV in Mississippi.

I’ve cried over the death, destruction, chaos and mayhem that is New Orleans. Human rights trespassed due to survival from hunger, violence, and homelessness. I can’t stop watching the news, hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel to shed hope and give a glimpse of a better future for a most-cherished, genteel, gracious city.

I have donated to Red Cross, still feeling like I just haven’t done enough. And just today, my workplace mobilized into unity and action. My company is matching contributions with receipts of monies donated to either Red Cross or Second Harvest. One group organized receiving of the specified dry goods (water, diapers, tuna, cereal bars, etc.) to take to one of the local drop-off centers. Another group raised money for individuals to return home to Austin safely also with deliverable supplies.

So bit by bit, little by little, I feel that we’ve all been done what we can to help. I’m proud of these efforts. I have been listening to the radio about other efforts around the city, and how others have been contributing. I’m not alone (not that I thought I would be.) But I do believe that others have contributed more than usual during this apocalyptic disaster, proving that together, there will be rebuilding and renewed faith.