Readily admitting most of my dramas are self made is simple fact. Years of inner-reflection have been useful on many levels, yet today I find myself completely ill-equipped to deal with events outside of my experience and control.
When disaster strikes at levels previously unknown, what is the average person to do? How can someone not directly touched or affected by events assist? Is it understandable to feel as distressed as I do? I am sure I am not alone, as this seems beyond the scope of the average tragic news story. It will be quite a while before it goes away. Even long after it no longer rates a regular mention in the media, it will be touching the lives of those affected daily – for many years to come. Yet as I made a quick stop at a nearby supermarket this evening I saw people laughing, chatting and outwardly showing no signs of distress. It somehow seemed wrong. How could we go about our lives with such ease. Why aren’t we as a nation in complete mourning?
Should I ignore events because they are for me ‘out of sight, out of mind’ or is it natural to grieve for lives I never knew existed, for homes I never saw, and towns I never visited? Would joining an ever growing list of Facebook groups help me? Can online social networking bring comfort or relief to the victims of disaster?
Frankly, I find these events beyond my comprehension. My sense of fear and dread is growing. I can not look away from the online newspaper, aid agencies and official police sites. All of the petty daily life concerns I held up until the middle of Saturday have disintegrated. The death toll is rising like some hellish game of bingo, where the numbers jump higher in an increasing rapid fashion.
