Never an Island...

Living in the Midwest for a half century, I have seen the pain, loss, fear, desperation, helplessness, and confusion resulting from the devastation caused by tornadoes, flooding, and fires many times in my lifetime.  I have helped how and when I could but at the end of the day, I admittedly could let it go and return home to a good night's rest in my own bed.   I was lucky through all these disasters; I did not lose a loved one, a home, a furbaby, or a cherished family heirloom.

In 1993, Des Moines, Iowa suffered wide spread flooding of the city and, ultimately, the failure of our water treatment plant...  but I had still avoided the brunt of a disaster.  There was water in the streets but I could still return to my home.  We had no flowing water for several days but I could still flush with rain water.   We did not have potable water for 10 days but plenty was trucked in to distribution sites and I could collect our allotted amount daily.  My basement had several inches of sewer water back up from over full storm drains and many things were ruined but I was still able to sleep in my own bed each night.  My employer sat up a satellite location to conduct business with not much more than a laptop and a pen but I had porta-potties, food, and drink.  We couldn't take showers in the heat of the Iowa summer but I was in a crowd of those in the same predicament. 

The community of Des Moines and its surrounding areas pulled together during the flood and worked toward our common goal.  Offers were posted by those that had wells or other water sources to do a load of laundry for you...   rides were shared...  couches were offered.... everyone shared what they had.... it was an amazing time, believe it or not.   We needed each other and we were there for each other.

After the flooding, I was more cognizant of the kind of help that victims needed after a disaster and I adjusted my "helping" and its timing to be more focused on practicality.   Physical limitations restricted me to certain activities but I was more aware of the right time and way to offer my assistance or help.   For example, I may have a washer and dryer to donate but if someone does not have a house, immediately after the disaster is not the time to be pushing a donation of furniture or appliances.  What they may need immediately is clean up supplies, child care, a place for a furbaby, temporary storage for what they can salvage, or place to sleep.

After the World Trade Center, I again adjusted my thinking and decided to take a few more risks and, hopefully, have fewer regrets about missing out on the knocking I would hear now and then at opportunity's door.   My first daring adventure was to go to Mardi Gras with little more than a couple days notice and ride with people who had nothing more than a friend in common with me.  I will never regret this choice and many of the others that followed.

I moved from the Midwest to...  lets say "less friendly" community and during the decade I lived there, I continued to help during disasters, donating quilts to local groups or families in need, offering assistance, checking on friends and acquaintances that were alone or ill, and trying to be a good deed doer when I could.  It was the right thing to do but it never felt right.  It just never really felt good like it used to.

An opportunity prompted me to buy a property at the foot of the Saint Catalina Mountains in Tucson.  The property and its view, for me, was of such peace, beauty, and awe - something my soul was desperately needing.   My settling in has been slow and there are still boxes everywhere and not much on the walls yet.  I have many reasons/excuses for my slow claiming of this new house but that is another story.

During my time in the Tucson, I have found myself in predicaments....  and needed some good deeds done for me (the reasons/excuses for the slowing settling in).  With much trepidation and fear of rejection, I reached out and asked for help.  My Tucson neighborhood has not ceased to amaze me with offers of assistance and even in the levels of assistance that were offered.  Someone actually assisted me in doing a good deed for someone else!

I feel at home...  its almost a "Des Moines-ish" kind of community feeling... and I am so very grateful for the odd collection of risks and opportunities that brought me to Tucson and allowed/forced me to get to know this community so quickly.

I, on the other hand, have been able to offer very little to others during their times of need but I feel that tide changing.   Once I get through this last bit of clean up of some personal garbage, I plan to resume offering what I can and I fully expect I will feel wonderful about sharing in this amazing community.

Yesterday, I received a report of a wildfire in the mountains above my home.   I am away from home helping a friend so there is not much I can do but watch and wonder... Will I be helping others in the aftermath or will they be helping me?

I pray that no one will need help with anything disaster related and the fire will be extinguished without loss of property or life.   But just in case, I think Tucson is the kind of place I want to be if disaster must happen.