One More Human

Greetings,

There are those days or nights when disaster strikes a country that the collective atmosphere is very tangible.  People gather around TV’s to keep up to date with what is happening, wishing they could do something to help.  You can sense it in the air itself.

Today is one of those nights.

Over the past few weeks the news here has been concentrating on the floods in Queensland.  Initially the shock surrounded Rockhampton as it was inundated - the talk soon turned to the dangers of Crocodiles and Snakes.  Even as that week drew on and some other smaller towns filled up with water I have to confess to paying it little heed.  Yeah, like everyone, you feel bad for the people whose houses you see covered in that sludge that is left behind - and some part of your brain says thank fuck it isn’t me.

I think, for me at least, it speaks volumes that until the shock of the scenes from yesterday as the “inland tsunami” hit Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley I had not really been as empathetic as normal.  Tonight though as some of the channels dedicate itself to reporting on the flood I share that sense of dread for Ipswich & Brisbane and you do feel it.

For some reason we just half expect such events to strike smaller towns and out of the way places but Brisbane?

At the moment 10 people have lost their life and 78 are missing - 18 they say gravely missing - I am unsure what this actually means as I am not privy to the scale of missing.  Perhaps they were last reported being swept away, or they are infirm or very young - I do not know but you gotta hope that they are somewhere on high ground with a useless mobile awaiting first light and the search helicopters.

I must assume that by the time I turn on the early morning news at 6am those numbers will both have increased.

I have been trying to get in touch with some friends in the region as I noted their suburb was one of the 32 on the list of those that are threatened.

I know the stories come out of peoples bravery, those that risk life to help others and those are moving but for me, the ones that really rip my heart strings are those ‘average’ people - not that I believe such a thing exists.  I listened to a live interview with an older lady named Carol who was in the Evacuation Center.  As she spoke she had that attitude you so often find in people of that generation, that Battle of Britain style attitude.  But as she spoke her voice croaked a few times and the reaction to give that unseen voice a hug, tell her it will be OK, when you know it wont.

As she continued to speak about how she knew she had no house to go back to, how it was back in 1974 when this happened before, about how they got out with not a lot but she was glad as she had gotten her daughters wheel-chair and her dog and her husband.  She spoke of those though that had lost more and how bad she felt for them.  It isn’t bravery in the standard sense, but this is the strength of character that only the truly bold posses.

There is no type of person, as defined by a region, that is - this talk about Queenslanders being resilient or what have you is no different to the same phrases used about Victorians after the Bush Fires - let us just say it - people are resilient - it matters not a shit what State, Country or Continent you are on.  It is in our nature.

For now though, we can but wait & see eh, we can hope - but it is pointless in that, what will be will be.

Peace be the Keeper

thenewvoice8