tangible evidence of memories

I am moving this to the front of the line because history does repeat itself.

 

the fires that were burning in the fall in NorCal have been stopped.

SoCal is taking a beating now. the winds reached 100mph.

nothing's changed.

 

s.

 

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this photo and the comments below were posted on November 23, 2007.

nothing has changed except you can add Northern California to this.

the winds in SoCal have reached 80mph.

 

 

11/23/07

I was watching Malibu burn live on tv today ("news at 11"), horrified at the incredible destructive visual beauty of wildfires. Interested also because my son had to fight in the last SoCal fires and, finally, I was relieved when I heard that he didn't have to go down this time. Watching the fires "live" is like watching the war "live". I don't want to get desensitized to destruction, so I was ruminating over what "stuff" I would take if I had to choose. I realized that the material textures of my life are things that are worth nothing monetarily.....gifts from loved ones, pieces from family members long passed, things i picked up here and there, all "stuff" I couldn't choose over the practical---my computer HD and photo albums and "important" documents. The things left behind all would be irreplaceable....the silly pieces of paper and plaster and pottery and dried vegetation.

This is what must hurt most for people who lose homes--the concrete evidence of memories.

I will hope for better times when we can fight fires, and earthquakes, and tornadoes and not wars and where people will never lose the tangible evidence, the "silly" things that mark that we were here.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Southern California this fire season.

 

 

Done