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Got an E mail today from my British bloke, Rowan. We worked together at Camp Mo-Val when we were both in (as he says) uni(for those who don't speak Brit, this means college). He and I have been communicating lately while he travels the world in search of adventure. He was in Fiji when he learned that we here in Florida had some deadly tornados a few nights ago. Last I heard, the death toll was around 20, but that's probably risen by now. So, Rowan just E mailed to be sure everything was all right. And, as blogged before, it is!
In his E mail, he went on for what seemed an unusual amount of time talking about what a horrible tragedy these deaths were, how he wishes me and my countrymen, the best in our efforts to recover and move on, etc. It was the sort of thing you'd say to someone who'd just lost a family member in a tragic accident, not something you'd say when the dead were not known. So, I told him that, sadly, this doesn't feel like a big deal. Horrible, isn't it? After 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Indonesia, etc. over the last few years, nothing shocks us any more. Now, had this been in my own neighborhood, had I known the victims, sure, any and all support is appreciated. In our world today, nothing seems worthy of a second look unless it's a tragedy beyond words. And we've had enough of those to fill a lifetime.
Rowan's E mail showed me just how numb I(and okay, I'll probably speak for many people here) have gotten when horrible things occur. It's not healthy, it isn't "nice"(if that's a weak word, I apologize) and it really isn't how we should live. Every life is precious, whether we know the individual or not. I'd love to live in a world where a tragedy is considered a tragedy, no matter what the death toll.