I ke gaya...

It has been more than 2 weeks since Ike came and went. Things seem normal now. The traffic lights are not working everywhere as yet, but most of then have been restored. Most part of the city has water and electricity and kids are back to school too. One can still see the uprooted trees and broken electric poles here and there. Many buildings have broken windows and most tall hoardings have been damaged. but the long queues for water and peanut butter are gone. Almost all the eating joints are open and people are back on roads, albeit with caution. But something has definitely changed since then.

It is slowly sinking in that things that happen to others may happen to you too. That no disaster is too far away. That lives can change in minutes and there may not be a chance to evacuate. That all that one cares about in crisis is one's own life. That being brave is good as long as one can afford it. That running for your life is not really cowardly. That with every added luxury in life, we become even more helpless and dependent. That having a small car is not always a good idea, specially if you live in a flood prone area - SUV then is a necessary evil. That a friend in need is a friend indeed is indeed true. That life seems more meaningful if you are able to help someone. That fear once formed, takes deep roots quickly. That Galveston and Kemah bay may never look the same again...some precious memories will never be rebuilt. and that though things may seem scary after a disaster strikes, the human spirit is too strong to break.