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do something
December 28, 2004
The numbers are so profound in size as to be meaningless. 33,000 dead currently from the tsunamis. More recent counts from Indonesia will likely raise that number to 60,000. Think of a large college football stadium, the bleachers and field full, but absolutely silent.
The heat and the inability to deal with collecting, transporting and disposing of bodies will inevitably cause the toll to rise even higher. In many areas, there is no water, no gas, no surviving infrastructure, in some countries that already had massive problems before the tsunamis hit Sunday morning. Hospitals are beyond overloaded. It is likely to be the costliest natural disaster in history.
I know you've gotten all this already, in much more detail, with video footage and photographs. Things are being done - the United Nations is in motion, the United States has even increased its aid pledge to $35 million, and is even sending an already stretched-thin military to help in Thailand.
So, it's easy, in a way, to watch, and let it pass as just more news. With the war, and other disasters, and genocide, and atrocities that happen in our own neighborhoods, and drama in our own lives, it's natural to draw little concentric self-protective circles around ourselves and our hearts, a target with the values growing lower as the impact is farther from us. We want to know how many Americans were involved. 12, as if it matters. Then we want to know if it was anyone from our community, and within that, if it's anyone we're connected to by less than a few degrees of separation. We need to know what boundaries have been breached, what level of grief is appropriate. God, I hope that's not just me, but I'd be happier if it were just me.
But I visited one of my favorite blogs last night, and again this morning. Its author, Julie, chronicled in words and incredible pictures her recent trip to Thailand. I had kept up with her reports eagerly at the time. I was enraptured by the beauty there, not only in the landscape, but the people. There is in the photographs a resonance, a familiarity, seeing how far away and how close we are at once. For a month or so, my desktop image on my home computer is of lightning over the sea there.
It's difficult to read her descriptions of the country and the people, to look at the pictures, and realize so much of it is gone. She was even talking about wanting to move there for some period of time.
Looking back on her accounts and pictures this morning, the event impacted a second time, this time at the bullseye, the way it should have the first I heard of it.
Today, Julie threw out a challenge, donating $100 to the Canadian Red Cross and asking readers to match it.
I know that we all try to do our part in some way - most of the people that visit this site volunteer, get involved to help those that need it. I think Julie did this much better, without being all preachy, but the bottom line is, I'm taking her up on her challenge, and asking anyone who can to do the same.
Is it financially sound for me to do this? No. But it's all relative, isn't it? How many times was it financially sound for me to buy a new pair of basketball shoes, or to spend $20, $40, or $60 out eating and drinking, or even more on a fairly pointless date?
We skip a few expensive nights out this month, and maybe someone gets some clean water and food. $100. How easy is that to spend, paid into the machine, a little of which may trickle into the hands of people that really need it?
There will always be need in the world, and we can only do so much, but those facts don't absolve us of our responsibility to do something now. At the end of the day, everyone benefits from us erring on the side of just a little sacrifice. Let's do what we can, just because we can. And if you can't do the money, that's cool, too. Just care, and maybe send a prayer, or hope, or positive energy, or whatever you believe works in this universe, because damn it, some of it does.
Oh, and while Julie deserves some props, we don't necessarily have to give the freakin' Canadians all the credit. There's a lot of organizations that are involved - take yer pick.
Posted by Rob at December 28, 2004 02:34 PM
Comments
Rob
I think Julie has the right idea and I'm going to match her donation as well.
Posted by: Unknown at December 29, 2004 12:04 PM
Just so you know, Ms. "Unknown" has given $200. She's no doubt smarter than me with money, but ain't nearly rich.
Another friend, who works her ass off and raises two kids, is pitching in, because she cares, and maybe because she knows it's only a trick of geography and luck that it wasn't her and her family affected by this. Her kids are even adding in, too.
Posted by: Rob at December 29, 2004 10:59 PM