Well if you're reading my blog you can probably see I am trying to channel my fear and obsessiveness in a useful direction. I think the phrase "there but for the grace of God go I" pretty much sums up how I'm feeling.
I can't look at the news any more; it's got to the emotional pr0n stage. I don't want to intrude on people's suffering and grief. All I want to know is how is the appeal going, what's the death toll and what can I do to help. I live 7km from one of the worst-hit areas and I have no desire to go and see what happened - unless it is in the context of me being actually able to help out.
Oh, and I just discovered we are 20km from Kinglake, not 30km...
They've been burning containment lines and I am very glad this has been well publicised because even knowing this I get very nervous smelling the smoke. Apparently the winds are picking up again and we can only hope and pray things will remain OK this weekend.
We live in a mad country - apparently there are parts of Queensland managing to experience both drought AND floods at the same time. What the...???
It's amazing how much everyone wants to give; I just hope people realise the help will still be needed in the months that follow, after the media coverage has gone away. I find myself questioning everyone's motives, including my own, in this outpouring of grief and generosity - there are similarities to the days after Princess Di was killed in the car crash. Is there something inherent in us as humans that we need to vicariously experience others' pain?
I figure that as long as I focus on doing practical stuff to help those in need, I can live with whatever my motives are.
There was an article on the ABC website about how Queensland flood victims were donating to the Victorian bushfire appeal. I found myself thinking "Yes, of course they want to send all their excess water down south!"
I really am counting my blessings; I am well aware that if there hadn't been a wind change last Saturday night, I could have been one of those homeless, injured or killed.
Knitting news
I'm making a Calorimetry for an upcoming swap - my partner describes herself as "somewhat quirky" and I'm tempted to sew a few of my novelty buttons onto it. If that's too quirky for her, she can always take them off.
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1 comment:
I know what you mean about the 'grief pron'. I'm expecting it to get worse. There's a huge difference between wanting to know how things are going, and getting some kind of voyeuristic pleasure out of other people's grief. I turn the volume off whenever journalists go too far.
I've been inspired reading about all the things you're making for various causes. Sometimes it seems like too big a leap of faith - I worry that I might make something that isn't needed. But the quote you included in one of your earlier posts reassured me that handmade items are appreciated.
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