Dirty Blonde

Saturday, October 29, 2005

The Learning Curve

I've learned a few things this past week. Some of the things are about myself and others are about the people around me.

1- Disasters can bring out the best in people. I've lived here 4 years and have barely talked to any of my neighbors. Monday morning I looked outside and saw my car buried under a tree. When I looked outside after the storm had passed, my neighbors were outside with a chainsaw cutting away at the tree. It took 4 men about an hour to get it all cleared away. They've started having a communial barbeque every night so that people would have a hot meal. I know most of their names now but I'm still not sure which child belongs to who.

2- Gas is harder to get than heroine..... Not that I would know how to get heroine. There are only two gas stations working in my town and they each have a line about a mile long from 6am until 10pm even though we still have a curfew. This brings me to another point. Disasters can also bring out the worst in people. I've seen fights in the the line. I almost saw a riot last night when the police told people to go home. They were pushing the cop back and yelling at her until more cops came. I guess I would be pissed to if I had waited hours only to be told to go away. I live across the street from the gas station. I have yet to have to attempt to get gas. Yes, my car is still drivable.

3- I fucking miss milk. No one has any perishable items. I can make coffee but I have no creamer or milk. I could brave a 4 hour wait at the store to get some evaporated milk but I just don't have the patience. I have a deal with the neighbors that whomever finds milk will buy several gallons so everyone doesn't have to search for it.

4- I loved what it looked like outside when there was no electricity. When I walked outside it was soooooo dark. The only light was from the stars. Some people might find this creepy but I loved it. It reminded me of my grandmothers house in Tennessee. There were no streetlights to light the way. You could just see the outline of the trees against the sky. I walked outside just to observe..... no streetlights, no traffic. All I heard was the wind in the trees. All of this brought me solace for some reason. I love the dark.

5- I am lucky. I've talked to a few of my friends. Some of them no longer have a house. Some of them still have a house but it's uninhabitable now. One of them has her husband stuck at an airport and she doesn't have the gas to make it down there to get him. One of them lost their business. The entire building was destroyed. They still have a house but now they can't pay for it with no income. I got a dent in the roof of my car.... I am lucky.

Posted by drunkbh :: 4:00:00 AM :: 24 comments