A thought for Sunday: putting this all in perspective

- by New Deal democrat

First of all, apologies for the light posting this past week. Both Bonddad and I were up to our elbows in alligators with our day jobs, and neither of us had any spare time.

In my case, I was attending a seminar that required 12 hours+ of partipation and study in another part of the country, Rather than talk shop with other members of my own profession, I got acquainted with a guy who was in the US on his very first, 2-month, assignment outside of the third world country that is his home.   I had noticed that he had breakfast and dinner by himself, so I went over and introduced myself.  He told me that he stayed in touch with his wife and family by skype each night.

He also told me that the island he lived on had just one month ago been the epicenter of a magnitude 7 earthquake, and showed me photos of the damage in the town where he lived -- in the central Philippines.

On the last night of my stay, he asked me if I had heard about the approaching supertyphoon.   I hadn't.   We were going to say our good-byes at breakfast the next morning, but he never showed.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to skype with his young wife as Supertyphoon Yolanda bore down on their town, and the power went out.

I'll try to get back in touch this week, and I'll let you know if I hear anything.