Saturday, May 05, 2007
Heartbreak
Polistra is heartbroken over the loss of an entire city in her homeland.
I'm slightly familiar with Greensburg. It was within the coverage of a grain elevator service company where I worked in the '70s, and I once did a day's work on the electrical system of the Greensburg Coop ... which is now the only big thing standing.
Nine deaths is not a huge toll, even for a city of that size; if 9 people died of old age in one day, it would be noticeable but not really newsworthy. The relative smallness of that number speaks to the value of preparation and organization. Lesser tornados in unprepared places (i.e. New York) kill far more.
But losing the entire city is special. It's a Biblical plague, and requires a Biblical level of attention. A city is the basic 'container' for families, and when it's gone, the families and people feel completely shipwrecked. ¶ 7:06 PM
Polistra is heartbroken over the loss of an entire city in her homeland.
I'm slightly familiar with Greensburg. It was within the coverage of a grain elevator service company where I worked in the '70s, and I once did a day's work on the electrical system of the Greensburg Coop ... which is now the only big thing standing.
Nine deaths is not a huge toll, even for a city of that size; if 9 people died of old age in one day, it would be noticeable but not really newsworthy. The relative smallness of that number speaks to the value of preparation and organization. Lesser tornados in unprepared places (i.e. New York) kill far more.
But losing the entire city is special. It's a Biblical plague, and requires a Biblical level of attention. A city is the basic 'container' for families, and when it's gone, the families and people feel completely shipwrecked. ¶ 7:06 PM
