By Todd Lancaster
June 27, 2008 09:14 pm
—
There is a lot to be thankful for in our area.
In spite of the flood waters, tornadoes, earthquakes, loss of jobs, rising gas prices, soft real estate markets and a presidential election that looks like it was scripted by either the Oprah Channel or the NRA, we still have a lot to be thankful for.
I think the way the people in the northern part of our county handled themselves in the last few weeks said a lot about the values people in Daviess County hold true.
Not to long ago I heard a painter offer paint to someone whose house was damaged by the recent deluge. No one asked him to do it, he just offered it up, he probably didn’t even know I was listening.
We had people round up food and clothing for anyone who needed it, and I know there was no payout at the end of that.
We had those who made some mistakes in their lives, sent from the prison at Carlisle, standing next to Marines and local volunteers, shoveling and sandbagging.
No questions or judgments formed, just people helping out others, whether they knew them or not and regardless of their situation.
Our law enforcement personnel work diligently and effectively to keep people safe. There were no fatalities, in spite of water lapping on ground that had never seen this type of destructive force before.
There were no television sets being stolen or general lawlessness, only people willing to move valuables to higher ground.
Reports have come in from all over the Midwest, whether it was Des Moines, the outskirts of St. Louis or simply in Elnora or Maysville; Midwesterners know how to act in times of crisis. I think it is more telling how people respond after a crisis than how well prepared they were before one happens.
There were no wild accusations, only the same rational demeanor that has allowed families to bring in crops, raise their kin and carve out an existence in the fertile ground adjacent to the White and Wabash rivers for many generations.
The federal government was helpful and people are now sorting through FEMA forms while hopefully bureaucracy and compassion can find some common ground. I’m sure for those who were victims, the wheels of the federal government never turn fast enough. However, when it’s all over, I believe people will be taken care of.
I only hope that as the waters recede, we don’t forget about those affected by this disaster when we move on to the next news cycle.
Some homes will be rebuilt, some people will move on, but what will last is the memory of the random acts of kindness and support shown as neighbors helped neighbors. I doubt there will be any memorials or monuments, maybe just a chalk line or notch that reminds people “back in ’08 the water got all the way to here.”
And when people talk about that late spring flood, they can tell their grandchildren, “We worked very hard to keep everyone safe — and we did.”
tlancaster@washtimesherald.com
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