well hello there

It's Tuesday. For real this time. Yeah, been having issues with that lately LOL When I said I was doing Friday Excerpts a little early, I thought it was the night before. LOLOL Due to family stuff, my computer time has been limited, so I let it ride until today. (Do I get a pass on my week being messed up if I tell you my teenager didn't have school on Friday?:)

This weekend I've spent a lot of time at the inlaws because our water has been out. Try living with three young kids and no water. Not cool. If you've ever been out of water and power for any real length of time, and I've done both, then your compassion level and admiration of those in Japan and Hawaii and other places hit by the Tsunami has to be higher than Joe Blow's down the street. You have an inkling of what it's like.

My Grandma-in-law's house burned down in a recent fire that turned rampant in literally no time due to winds and such. I've written about it, so if you follow my blog you know what I'm talking about. If not, go read about the White Swan Fire from last month. I'll wait. (insert Jeapordy music here :) Anyway, our community really pulled together. There wasn't any complaining. No fighting over the donations. A chain motel even put some people up--free--until housing could be found. I hadn't seen the like before. There was sadness, emotional trauma, but no angry fighting, bullying or any of the things that can happen when humans are hurting and their lives torn apart.

Now, in Japan, you see that same gathering of community. Long lines at the few working gas stations, but no fighting and yelling. No looting. That's the one that has me impressed. How many times is their a disaster of sometime and the stores get looted? Too many in my opinion. The Japanese people have a long row to hoe, no doubt about it. Please, though, remember your fellow Americans who have also been hit and reach out to them with the same love and compassion that we are to the Japanese. Let their example lead us in not only helping those in Hawaii and other places that lost so much, but in helping Japan. Already the outpouring of help and Search and Rescue Teams has been outstanding.

I love you people. I don't know how much money the writing community as a whole has raised but I'm willing to be it's over 10k since someone had over 6k raised within 24 hours!! Good job!