TV and Tears

[Guest]

This is so hard.

To come home weary from the long work week, feed the wild monkey-children that infest and occasionally destroy my house, then to collapse on the sofa in front of the news and just weep.

It isn't just PMS, though it does remind me of when I was pregnant and cried so easily. And at everything.

No, it's Katrina-devastated New Orleans, of course. I feel so positively helpless watching those images.

I see the faces of the American refugees. I see those worried and weary parents attempting to care for their children, no food, no water. I see the misery reflected everywhere.

I don't begrudge people looting. Who the hell cares? Everything will be ruined, anyway - why not get some clothing, some food, before it's destroyed? And of course they have guns. I would too, if it would help me get supplies for my family.

I don't care that gas prices are rising. Hell, they've been doing that for awhile.

I don't care about the politics right now. Why is anyone wasting time on that when people are dying from lack of medical care?

I'm sad. I'm angry. And I'm worried.

I'm worried about what will happen next.

The world has seen how unprepared we are in major emergencies. We're a sitting duck, aren't we, for the next bomb-happy terrorist?

I'm sending all the positive thoughts I have - prayer isn't for me - but besides giving to the collection people at work are taking I don't know what else to do.

Except weep.

 

[glynndah]

Exactly. I also feel a kind of "survivor guilt". Everything in my life is going great right now and I wonder "why wasn't it me? I'm no better than all of the people devastated by the hurricane."

 

[Penelope Street]

I know. I don't even need the TV on to get teary eyed. And if I did manage to enjoy myself for a moment, I'd likely feel guilty the next.

 

[rgraham666]

*HUGS* all.

We like to think we're one step below the angels. We've learned that's not the case.

It's a shock, but we're tough. We'll survive, and move on. No other choice.

 

[mismused]

delete

 

[yui]

Edited: Wrong thread! Sorry! It's the beer!

On topic: I listen to NPR obsessively and tear-up at random intervals. It's like 9/11 when I felt so helpless and lost.

Peace and luck to all,

Yui

 

[shannon_est]

This is so hard.
No, it's Katrina-devastated New Orleans, of course. I feel so positively helpless watching those images.

I see the faces of the American refugees. I see those worried and weary parents attempting to care for their children, no food, no water. I see the misery reflected everywhere.

I feel exactly the same way. I've donated money, I'm giving blood on Tuesday, I've donated clothes... but somehow it doesn't feel like it's enough. I've hardly slept more than 3 hours at a time this week. My eyes are so bloodshot from the tears, I was hardly able to see at work today. When I went grocery shopping this evening, I looked around at the shelves, fully stocked, and counted my blessings. As I stepped into the hot shower this morning I counted my blessings. As I drove to work I counted my blessings that our gas stations had gas. After some of the images I've seen on the news the last few days, there will hardly be anything I take for granted anymore. Stone Phillips (newsguy) was talking to one of his field reporters and the other reporter was recalling a conversation with a fellow news person and he said "When we get back to the states..." and then realized they were already there..... that touched me profoundly and the tears flowed even more heavily than before.

 

[SeaCat]

This is so hard.

To come home weary from the long work week, feed the wild monkey-children that infest and occasionally destroy my house, then to collapse on the sofa in front of the news and just weep.

It isn't just PMS, though it does remind me of when I was pregnant and cried so easily. And at everything.

No, it's Katrina-devastated New Orleans, of course. I feel so positively helpless watching those images.

I see the faces of the American refugees. I see those worried and weary parents attempting to care for their children, no food, no water. I see the misery reflected everywhere.

I don't begrudge people looting. Who the hell cares? Everything will be ruined, anyway - why not get some clothing, some food, before it's destroyed? And of course they have guns. I would too, if it would help me get supplies for my family.

I don't care that gas prices are rising. Hell, they've been doing that for awhile.

I don't care about the politics right now. Why is anyone wasting time on that when people are dying from lack of medical care?

I'm sad. I'm angry. And I'm worried.

I'm worried about what will happen next.

The world has seen how unprepared we are in major emergencies. We're a sitting duck, aren't we, for the next bomb-happy terrorist?

I'm sending all the positive thoughts I have - prayer isn't for me - but besides giving to the collection people at work are taking I don't know what else to do.

Except weep.

Weeping is okay, but it doesn't really help anyone but yourself. (Actually that isn't bad.) Yes the Missippi Delta and environs got hammered. Yes people are hurting and there are dead in the streets. New Orleans, Biloxi and many other towns will rebuild. Life will go on. We are quite resilient and tend to fight our way back from things like this.

Things like Katrina and 9-11-01 bring out both the best and the worst in people. In New Orleans we are seeing looting, which I can understand and even condone in some circumstances. We are also seeing people shooting at convoys and helicopters ferrying refugees. That is something I can't condone or even understand. (Personally I think they should have returned fire.) We are also seeing once again an outpouring of help and money from people not only around the country but around the world. We are seeing people who have lost everything giving their all to help other people.

I don't wish hurricanes or any other natural or man made disaster on anyone.

Cat

 

[Guest]

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

It's been similar. I'm in the process of moving so during it I've had constant guilt trips about how I had something to move while families were told to leave their dogs behind in certain death and were stripped of their last connections to their old life.

However, I've been mostly angry about it. I feel for the victims, but the "news" and the "officials" jsut piss me off to no end with the capitalization of the tragedy and the profiteering and the blaming of the victims while they treat them like Soylent Green. It sickens me and that feeling has unfortunately trumped the empathy of late. I feel for the victims, but I hate the profiteers and the little boys taking the opportunity to play fascist on some "negroes". It's proof that nothing changes about humans except their denial and their arrogance.

At least some good people are actually lending a hand on their own cognizance and with nothing in it for them. That brings at least a little hope into my corroded soul, which of course has been drained of the neccesary iron. But it's not enough to trump those who are just using the suffering to their own advantage and can pay little but crocadille tears.

 

[English Lady]

I also know how you feel Sarahh, I cannot get the images from my mind and I cry all the time. this has really grapsed my heart and I feel so very helpless over here. I'm going to talk to my church about organising something to make money for the victims of Katrina, I need to do something.

I'm praying, all the time I'm praying for the survivors and the aid workers. I'm praying my prayers help!