The Perfect Storm
HILLARY
Jack, as we watch the news today, we see the terrible fires that are happening in our neighboring counties. One of my friends has a home near Lake Arrowhead, and we’re still waiting to find out if it’s ok, since no one can get up to it. I can’t imagine how scary it must be to be close to an event like that. Have you ever seen anything like this?
JACK
Yes, as a matter of fact I have and I’ve experienced it. Natural disaster, or any kind of disaster only strikes home with it’s full impact when you’re directly exposed. For the most part, you see the newspapers and you witness on television disasters like Hurricane Katrina or floods and now these terrible fires that are happening in California. It’s scary, and the scariest part is that it is now happening with much greater frequency. It seems like every season breaks some kind of record that leads to the conditions for what is now called "The Perfect Storm". In the 1960’s, my family and I were in the middle of the Brentwood/Bel-Air fire. Seeing the flames come close and the overhead electrical lines crackling were frightening. I remember sprinkling water on the house and finally as it came closer, fled with my wife, two young children, and two dogs. Standing at a distance, we realized the entire neighborhood was in flames, and fully expected not to see the house standing again. It was with mixed feelings, two days later, that we were able to reenter the neighborhood and found our house standing, although it had suffered considerable smoke damage, and on two sides of us, the houses had burned to the ground.
HILLARY
Jack, to what do you owe this — for lack of a better word — miracle?
JACK
There is no explanation. I certainly am not smarter or better prepared, and I never did ask for divine intervention. But I had the same feeling as when I was in aerial combat and saw the plane along side me go down in flames — and we survived. What is left is a little guilt, commonly referred to as ’survivor’s remorse’, and a feeling of elation having survived the tragedy.
HILLARY
Jack, what happened to your neighbors?
JACK
My neighbors were very sad, but philosophic, said ‘they were thankful that no one was injured. That they loved where they lived, and that they were going to, and they did, rebuild their houses. Interestingly, we didn’t live in a particularly dangerous area. This fire happened only once. But there are people who live in the cliffs and on the hills who have rebuilt their homes more than once, and when asked why, the explanation is always ‘this is where we love to live.
HILLARY
Well, I know that our hearts go out to those who are suffering during this time, and who will have a long road of rebuilding ahead of them. I hope that they can find the strength, as your neighbors did, to rebuild successfully and hopefully for the last time.
JACK
One of the fascinating parts of natural or man-made disasters is that it brings out the best in friends and neighbors. The element that I remembered was the way those that had homes that survived the firetried to help those that didn’t — offering shelter, financial help, and anything that would ease the pain. This tells me that given the opportunity people will responds with care and kindness. It applies to what happens around the corner — and around the world.
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