Shock & Recover

I got a phone call from my co-worker Al today. I was having an impromptu lunch with my brother-in-law while watching The Bold & The Beautiful when I heard a strange noise. At first I thought it was coming from the t.v., but when the characters didn't stop to address the sound, I asked him if he knew what it was. "Is that your cell phone?" I asked. "No, I think it's yours." I realized it was and ran to answer it (my cell phone hadn't rung since just before Katrina blew through and disabled phone service in my area). Al called to tell me that he and Diana (our department administrative assistant) had passed by my house during lunch today to assess the damage. The verdict was in...minimal damage. Just some metal (mostly gutters) that had been ripped from the house. No trees down, no windows broken, the water was running, and according to Al's electricity test, I've got power and am in business!

I feel truly blessed to have minimal damage, but after watching CNN tonight, I can't help but think of all of my friends & co-workers who've lost everything. My "boyfriend" from college & I were talking last week about what this devastating situation does to the psyche. I mentioned that the not knowing was the hardest part and that until I saw (or heard) about the state of my home, it wouldn't be real to me. I told him that I'd mentally prepared myself for 2-3 ft of water in my home, or worse, my home being gone all together. He said that seeing the house gone would be the "shock and recover" phase all over again. He's pretty confident that he and his wife have lost everything (they live about two blocks from Lake Ponchartrain). I know they've been through the shock, I just pray that for them (and all of my Katrina evacuee friends) the recover phase is swift.