It's Not Enough

I've been trying to keep this light. It's not working tonight.

I have something on my mind. I think it's on most of our minds - Hurricane Katrina. We can't look at a paper, listen to the radio or watch the news without hearing about it. Everywhere we turn, people are asking for donations to the hurricane victims.

I have to back up a bit. Call me Cleopatra. I am the Queen of De-Nile. Ok, actually the queen of denial. I have developed a system a long time ago to keep reality at bay and out of my mind. I can go to a safer place in my mind, sort of to my own land of make believe. I'm always safe there, and nothing bad can happen to me. Reality TV is ok, because it's not MY reality.

Then just over nine days ago, Hurricane Katrina hit. Part of my mind has wrapped around the fact that it was absolutely devastating. Well, I know what the word devastating means, but I still couldn't realize just how devastated the people of New Orleans really are. I understand that New Orleans is gone. Period. It's gone. There are thousands of people dead. Thousands more left without homes or any belongings. There has been chaos and mayhem in what is left of New Orleans.

Yesterday, that reality finally hit me.

I was listening to the radio on my drive to work. The radio talked about displaced pets after the hurricane. I thought that was harmless enough to listen to. Then they explained that people were rescued, but the rescue boats would not take their pets. The pets were left to swim. And swim. And swim. The radio show went on to add that now the water is toxic. The water is toxic and the pets are dying from drinking the water of all things. Ok, again, I know what the word toxic means, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why the water would now be getting toxic. Once again, I was in the safe place in my mind where all is well with the world.

Last night, I found out why the water is getting toxic. A news show was on last night called 48 Hours. I caught part of it. What I saw is now forever etched in my brain. New Orleans is still under a lot of water. Dead bodies are floating in the water. Read that again. Dead bodies are floating in the water. Damn the news cameras. I couldn't look away fast enough. Like I said, etched now in my brain. They are so busy trying to rescue the LIVE people that no one has been able to care for the thousands of dead in New Orleans. Can we even imagine what that city is truly like? The horrors these people are going through? The people still unaccounted for is staggering.

Another news story from yesterday, out of the rubble came a six year old boy holding a five month old child. Following this six year old leader, hand in hand, were five more toddlers. This SIX year old was taking care of six other children and leading them to safety! Once they were in the capable hands of the Red Cross and fed and cleaned and clothed, the Red Cross went about trying to find their families. Somewhere in a shelter were parents looking for their lost seven children! What are the chances that this had a happy ending! Very little. They found out it wasn't the same seven children they were looking for. Can you believe it? Another group of seven children are missing...and this group has parents that are either dead or perhaps have just abandoned them. I know, this is only one of thousands of stories.

My point is, I feel so helpless. While the door to my safe place was open a little bit, I did what most people are doing. I wrote a check, sent it to the Red Cross. Whoopie. My good deed was done. After learning just how devastating this disaster really is to our fellow man, I feel the need to do more. But what? Send more money? Buy a boat and go down there? Open my house to the homeless hordes? What is the right thing to do? And will it be enough?

I know y'all have heard it from every single media out there. I need to reiterate. Give. Then give again. It won't be enough. http://www.redcross.org/

*Author's note: Here is a link to the news story about the six year old mentioned above. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9230423/