Surviving Sandy

What a week it’s been! Anyone in the path of Hurricane Sandy will tell you how much we now appreciate the simple things in life: heat, hot water, enough light to read by after dark, and the generosity of neighbors and friends.

Even this morning, as I drove back from teaching, I rolled over extension cords connecting house with power to house without. And I spent many hours though the last few days sharing a friend’s Wifi with neighbors around a crowded dining room table while all the kids played (somewhat peacefully) in the other room, laughing as we prepared a potluck supper using whatever was still edible in our not-so-frigid freezers.

The crisis still isn’t over . Right now there’s snow falling from a less intimidating Nor’easter, but with so many trees leaning and huge, broken branches dangling overhead, we’re expecting to lose power at almost any minute! Many people still don’t have power at all, including TWC Associate Director Michelle Cameron. Thanks to MONDO and Sparkhouse, we’ve managed to keep TWC and Michelle warm and alive. Though I don’t quite understand why she has chosen not to take up my offer of a comfy couch, given my household of three cats, two rats, a lizard, a tarantula and, of course, my two rambunctious but adorable kids.

To all of our community, those we know and those we don’t, we send our prayers and wishes for a quick return to normalcy. And for those so inclined, take a moment to jot down a few thoughts about the past week’s experiences. Whether you just need to vent your anger and frustration or want to record a family moment that might not have happened with the Xbox working and everyone busy on their devices, it’s well worth the time. One day you might want to share what happened here this week with someone who isn’t old enough to remember.