Oh my

Well, professionally my day is taking a turn for the worse, and there are a couple of things I wish would be swept away by large amount of water.... but at least I no longer have "happiness guilt."

I was reading stories in the Boston Globe over lunch, and we were all swapping stories: "I heard about this one man..." "Did you hear about the paraplegic woman on the air mattress?"

The picture on the front page of the Boston Metro was of a sobbing woman sitting next to the wrapped up body of her deceased husband. That picture--which can also be seen on the BBC--emitted waves of desolation. But the Metro ruined it, or at least I thought it was ruined--but explicitly stating that the woman was crying for her "commonlaw husband." It was an African-American woman, by the way. Now, there's nothing wrong with a commonlaw marriage, but somehow it seems like an unnecessary addition. I don't know... maybe it's just me....

All of those poor people! Especially all of the poor people outside of New Orleans who probably aren't getting the attention (aid and media-wise) that they need.

I wish I had skills and the financial ability to leave work and go down to help. I hate sitting from a far and just watching. It's awful. I already made a donation to the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, and since I can't get to India for the Jimmy Carter Work Project next year, maybe I can at least get down South to help rebuild a house or two.

At least building a house, or cleaning up debris, I could feel like I was accomplishing something. Here, today, all of my best laid plans have tumbled down. ::sigh:: I could be in for another long night....