And Then Along Came Sandy…
You would have to have been
deeply removed from your very own head, news media or nature itself (if you
live in the tri-state area) to not know of the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. It’s
been almost one month since the storm pummeled our shores, demolished our
electrical power lines, felled buildings and flooded our homes. There were
people who lost their lives and people who lost all of their belongings. Existence
in this region had to be analyzed, reconsidered, reconfigured and will never be
the same.
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| A view of lower Manhattan after the Con-Edison transformer explosion. |
I knew I was prepared for
the storm (I finally had a use for all the damn candles that always manage to
find themselves wherever I am). Or so I thought. Nothing could prepare me for the
bright aqua lightning, the aberrant buzzing sound of the circling wind, and
seeing an uprooted large tree fly by my window. I was aware there could be
power outages. I just didn’t think they would last for over a week. I had to
figure out an all-purpose wardrobe: something that was warm, comfortable and
could be waterproof if need be and tolerated if it needed to be worn for many
days. I hadn’t thought about clothing in this way since I was a young Girl
Scout preparing for a camping trip. I did have to entertain myself for longer
than I thought I’d have to. I drew, I wrote and I read; my Kindle became my
best friend. Gone were public transportation, electricity, warm showers and
sarcasm, like so many of the things I took for granted. I came out on the other
side of Sandy inconvenienced and a bit dazed but unscathed. I consider myself
very lucky.
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| Cement slabs that once supported a boardwalk in Spring Lake,NJ.Photo by Erika Belle. |
The first Sandy related
benefit I attended was at Mister H club in the Mondrian Hotel in Soho. It was
organized by the fashion website StyleLikeU
and called for donations of much needed household cleaning supplies. I’ve worn
black rubber gloves to nightclubs in my day and as a former bar/club owner,
I’ve carried many a full trash bag out, but it was a first for me to bring
trash bags and packaged gloves into an event (along with giant bottles of bleach,
soap and sponges).
The reconstruction and
cleanup has started in earnest, but there is still much work to be done. There
are more many benefits to attend for those in need and for those who have lost
their homes. Please continue to support this recovery in any way that you can
(money, volunteer work, food and clothing donations) I found these sites very
helpful for direction of where and what to donate:
The American Red Cross, NY (aid can also be given to NJ & Connecticut chapters)
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| A remnant of the Jersey Shore. Photo by Erika Belle. |
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