Survivor's Guilt

 

It is Monday morning. With any luck or the mercy of a loving god who wants the best for his children (cough!), the winds will remain in check. And the fires that have scorched Southern California for the past 72 hours will be on their merry way. 

Perhaps to another Democrat-governed part of the state that also fails to rake up its forest floors. Sorry, the stupidity of that "thing" is hard to stomach and walk away from. 

Particularly in these dark times that only seem to be getting darker. 

For thousands of Californians, many of whom are looking at lives totally obliterated, there is no other choice to start over. 

From scratch. Literally.

It is daunting. And we can do nothing but offer solace and help. We have to. For their sake and for ours. As a friend of Ms. Muse accurately stated, "Many of us are suffering from Survivor's Guilt." 

I hadn't been able to come up with the word or description of the hollow feeling that has gutted me, and so many of us, but that term speaks volumes.

I found this recent article in The NY Times and made it available as a gift: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/11/realestate/california-wildfires-homes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ok4.WHMx.ub6sC1py30h5&smid=url-share

Should you be inclined, you should also read a front page piece written by my friend Jim Rainey, an amazing veteran reporter to the LA Times, whose tears are evident through the multi-page personal recounting of his lost childhood home in Malibu.

I hope the link is alive: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-12/malibu-local-wildfire-devastation

My apologies for the gloomy nature of today's post. There's nothing about the past few days that lends itself to levity or lightheartedness. 

Perhaps there will be tomorrow.