Underwater

When is enough enough?

Three years of the worst winters ever -- record breaking snow, snow melt, rain, moisture, saturation -- AND NOW THIS!

When is enough enough?

Roofs peaking out through the river. Water creeping up Central toward Main Street. The Niess Impression's building sandbagged to the windows and still losing the battle.

When is enough enough?

An 85-year-old woman being dragged from the only home she has known for 60 years. Single mothers sleeping in shelters with their four children-- one a baby! A single pink child's lawn chair disappears quickly down a raging river!

When is enough enough?

Walking south toward Niess' Impressions today to see if they needed help sandbagging, I hung around a little bit, caught a national guardsman's attention to see if there was anything I could do: they were filling up Tesco Barriers with sand throughout the downtown area . . . I was told that the family was told that they had to leave the building and were expecting six foot water up to the walls.

I slowly wandered away -- watching the surreal activity: roads blocked, people meandering, piles of sanbags abandoned . . . when I heard a noise behind me. When I turned a National Guardsman, one who I recognized as a regular customer of mine, was running toward me with a big smile on his face -- "It looks like the bookstore is going to be okay!" He beamed . . . and in the midst of all the chaos around me I am reminded of a bright spot.

"The Bookstore is going to be okay!" And it matters. Just like it matters that many things aren't going to be okay. Can I count my blessings as century old buildings crumble and disintegrate to dust? I will try. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day, I will try. And in the meantime it is nice to know that there is a guardsman out there who is fighting to save our town who is counting my blessings as his own--at least until I can count my own. Thank you!

When is enough enough?

When people stop caring about each other. Then, and only then, will enough be enough.