Sandy!

Sandy!

November 1, 2012

Sandy came ashore to visit us after a long and exhausting whirl around the Caribbean. Her voracious appetite not waning she wreaked havoc, major devastation and even took some lives along the way. Her behavior was most vulgar and disgraceful in manner. She blew gale force winds exposing our human frailties. She tore aluminum sidings off houses and businesses. She tore down walls scattering brick facades on deserted sidewalks. She blew expensive doors off their hinges and made unwelcome visits inside places she has no right to be invading. She exposed the inner sanctum of humble abodes as well as privileged ones. She made homes became doll houses. Suddenly everyone was equal in her wake as well as the misery she was creating.

She blew vehicles out of her way as if they were pesky insects. Cars upturned on their backs, minivans and shiny SUV’s were on top of each other as if they were leapfrogging.

She became a dragon and blew beautiful orange red flames in the sky lighting up houses like tinder boxes as she set them alight in domino effect along the backdrop of the inky beach front seascape. Sandy became a raging bull barring even seasoned first responders from entering her zones, that is, any zone she deemed hers. She surged icy cold water chest high while blowing her orange red flames alluringly in their faces daring them to step closer. Her dares were ignored while they tried valiantly to save the remaining houses a Herculean task at the time.

She became infuriated and again blew her gale force winds snapping tree limbs like toothpicks and ripping up decades old trees from concreted sidewalk throwing them, tossing them carelessly on roofs and cars causing extensive damages and mayhem even killing innocent children as she beat her chest saying “I am woman hear me roar.”

So as not to leave any doubt as to whom we were dealing with her careless and cavalier attitude towards lives, liberty and comfort she aimed a couple of those age-old trees onto the power lines plunging us in total darkness and utterly eerie silence.  Sandy is not anything if not efficient. She went to Far rockaway, Jersey shore and Long Beach Island and was highly enraged and disappointed that boardwalks, businesses along same boardwalk, lighthouses, even the benches were still intact, in essence, ignoring her. Such insolence was not going to be tolerated. She took a deep breath and blew them all up and down their various shores. “Ignore me now!!” she seemed to be saying. The Ferris wheel was broken and bent out of shape as if a giant took it and wrung it in his great big hands. The boardwalk flooring went flying like kites in the spring time and the light house ended up leaning against the boardwalk rails. Still not finished she proceeded to move motorized boats on to land and even had the strength to move an oil tanker! The grandfather-like tanker was looking around all puzzled and confused because he was being pushed against his will unto dry land. He resisted, well he tried but he was no match against Sandy. The tanker painted black looked around his unfamiliar surroundings grunted his disapproval and sighed. He gave up.

Sandy continued along threatening and bullying beachfront properties as well as homes and anything else that was unlucky enough to be in her way. Her heart was touched tenderly when she let a seasoned New Jersey police chief choked up on camera when he had witnessed the devastation she left behind. He could not continue the interview.

After all the destruction she created she left us on Tuesday very satisfied that her work was done!  Citizens are still bailing water from their homes, places of business and worship. Some are in the process of coming to terms with their loss of home and valuable sentimental possessions. Some are mourning for the loss of family members, friends, neighbors as well as pets. Most of all we are trying to survive this wreckage, the evil presence of Sandy who came and saw BUT did not conquer! With all the devastating ruins and damages she has left behind she was not brave, tough, or smart enough to even try and wrestle away our sense of resiliency, our humanity in helping each other in the aftermath. I wish she had stuck around just long enough to see the outpouring of love and unselfishness in the way the people have responded in a positive way towards helping each other. The donations in the form of clothing, hot meals and supplies keeps pouring in and we are truly grateful! Home grown heroes and those from afar have emerged and just saying “thank you all” seems inadequate but we mean every single word from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you all! And oh yeah…Take that Sandy!! The joke is on you!

Lata!