Hurricane More Than Another Life Lesson

August was a bumpy month. I blasted through a concentrated biology course, was invited to an honors course this fall semester, bought my books, and just when I thought I could get a breather, we had an earthquake.

Now for heaven's sake. That was supposed to be a "once-in-a-life-time event" for the east coast, but then came news of hurricane Irene. Irene has a heck of a press agent and trumps the 5.9 earthquake with "not since 1903 has a hurricane hit New Jersey"!

I think I am out of adrenalin. Yep. Matter of fact here is my laid-back mental checklist:

Fill the bathtub so you can flush the john, find those fifteen year old matches left over from the nanny's wedding so I can light the centerpiece candles from both daughters' weddings,(I have been lugging them around for almost twenty years just because I could not bear to throw them out), run the fridge temperature up to high, fill my tea kettle with tap water, fill bottles to drink and water the kittycat...round up canned ravioli and evaporated milk, go to People's Bakery for a week's supply of torpedo rolls, check out the supply of peanut butter and jelly, change batteries in my flashlights, locate bandaids and antiseptic, surgical tape and duct tape...and of course my new text books.

Worse case scenario, I can study.

I hear that there are 600 seniors in Atlantic City who do not want to leave their high rise housing. Since they are talking about their walking down many many flights of stairs, I can identify with them. If they have comfort issues, like diapering or accessiblity, they may opt to stay in a part of their apartment where they feel they can cocoon.

I hope that they are safe. Let us not forget that seniors have life experience that has gotten them this far.

Some of the persons in our society today have a tendency to label everyone for convenience or reduce individuals to statistics.

Just maybe these folks feel their collective histories give them an advantage over a younger population that has become accustomed to "services". Give these folks room, please, to determine their own fate.

Well, here comes Irene. Stay safe.

Seniors rock.