[at-l] OT - Catastrophe

[ellen at clinic.net (Bob C)]

>"...The death toll is now at 117,000. ?My boss, an Indian, went home for the 
holidays. ?No one, not his family or friends, nor his wife nor her friends, have 
heard from them. We've been trying to reach them for days. ?This thing is 
hitting close to home, now. What can we all do? ?Really? ?What, as a loving 
community of hikers, can we do? ?Surely there is something."

 I wish you hadn't told us that. It's easier to deal with such tragedies if one doesn't know anyone with a connection with the event. I salve my conscience for not contributing by rationalizing that I neither I nor anyone can solve the problems of poverty, sickness, disease or natural events, but I can do permanent things like contribute and raise money for land for trails and buffers for trails that will be available for people to use and enjoy for the forseeable future.

I know mine is a selfish view. It does feel great to know I may have helped create something that will be around long after i'm gone from this earth.

But if you promise not to tell my wife I'll send a check to one of the relief agencies. We've already blown much of my Social Security on our town land trust and the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust ( http://www.matlt.org ) She seems to think we can't afford such things, but we still manage to eat quite well. We are even leaving in a little while to celebrate New Years with a pizza, salad, and a little beer and wine at the Cabin, an independent pizza place a few miles up the road.

Weary