Monday, October 22, 2007

Weather.

Weather never comes when we need it. I think it's always been that way - read the Bible, or Little House on the Prairie. We have rain, and we need it desperately, but they need it in California, too. Barb, who hosts the Purse Project, lives in San Diego.

This is what weather can do:

I'm totally co-opting my friend Barrett's personal tragedy to make a philosophical point. It's all just stuff, right, Bear?

This is the result of Katrina, and the failure of a canal floodwall. Those, in case you don't know, are managed by the same Army Corps of Engineers that seems powerless to do anything to mitigate the effects of our drought. In both New Orleans and Atlanta, there is definitely an argument to be made that we've tried too hard to control the environment for our own purposes, and now its fighting back.

Nonetheless, at this point, the damage is done. We need to figure out more sustainable solutions for the long term, but we also need to plan for what the next few months will bring.

Can you tell I've been alone in the dark & dreary weather all afternoon? It's uplifting, isn't it?

This was all inspired by an NPR piece on the San Diego fires. They interviewed one lady, who was telling the few things she'd taken from her house at 4:30 this morning when she was told to evacuate. She listed the Bible, some pictures, clothes, jewelry, and get this - her grade book. That, friends, is dedication to the profession.

3 comments:

Monkey said...

The environment is going to kill our asses, for sure...we better plan/have fun while we can. And you best believe my crazy white ass would not be collecting a grade book if I had to evacuate this house quickly...I would just give all those children A's and B's because they deserved it having lived through a tough time and because there's more important things in life to save than grades. :)

K2daK said...

Her grade book! THAT IS AWESOME!!! I think that is one thing I would leave behind but the MILLION dollars I have spent in pictures would be one thing that would find its way into the car!

Jean Knee said...

I'd let the grade book burn, baby.