Clean up

Erin and Eric left yesterday for clean up in Baton Rouge. Things in B.R. are tough. Hey, things all over the state are tough - with shortages of all kinds and the huge influx of stressed and needy. And MS and AL and TX. Even though N.O. is such a visual story of misery, the problems are so wide spread. There is fear, too. Immediate physical fear and emotional fear of what the future holds. Regardless of where these displaced people are, their feelings of frustration and helplessness are overwhelming. I've managed to control my news in-take because coverage of both the broad scope and the individual tragedies only feed my feeling of helplessness and hopelessness.

I've been kept busy with caring for my family and especially the energizer bunny activity of two-year-old Mila, and as long as I don't over-indulge in television gluttony, I can keep depression at bay.

What could have been done to alleviate some of the problems? I've run hundreds of things through my mind, as everyone else has. Regardless of the fact that the crisis is of such unbelievable proportions and the difficulties at relief logistically horrendous, in hindsight, we all see that foresight was lacking.

I try to avoid blame and anger, but like everyone else (even though I try to keep it in the background) those emotions exist. For me, however, they are not productive, we are where we are. Done is done; trying to think of solutions is most important. How to solve the current problems and the problems that will inevitably develop, how to prepare for the possibility of another hurricane or torrential rains. And I worry that those in charge are too busy dealing with the immediate situation to be thinking ahead. There are people in charge, now. Right?