This post isn't going to be like my normal posts, actually it's going to be a little darker and very depressing. As many of you know my home state, New Jersey, was devastated by Hurricane Sandy this past weekend. Although I do live relatively close to the shore, my town and my house were spared, thankfully. I wish I could say the same thing about the surrounding towns or even New Jersey as a whole. I've been without power since Monday so I haven't really gotten the chance to see all the destruction sandy caused. I'm using my iPhone to actually write this post because I'm one of those people who feels better when I voice how I'm feeling and I've been bottled up for too long.
My dad works for a local gas company in New Jersey and for the last couple of days he's been touring the devastation. Now my dad is not someone who shows much emotion but each night he's come home he's been so depressed and upset. He showed us some pictures of Union Beach and there was nothing left of the town. The only way he could describe it to us was to say it looked like a bomb had gone off. He said walking around he saw pictures lining the ground and people clothes thrown about. The pictures really are horrific because it shows that these poor people lost everything. I feel extremely guilty because the worst thing that happened to my home is that we lost power. We didn't loose our home, pictures, possessions, or cars. Yes, material things can be replaced but its a pain to do. They have been calling this storm "The storm of the century" and to me it doesn't feel like that because I have yet to see the full extent of what actually happened, and frankly I'm not sure I really want to.
What I did see is that Sea Bright, the place I spent most of my summers as a child is officially destroyed. I don't think Sea Bright will ever be the same. My lovely grandmother, who passed away almost 2 years ago, spent most of her life living in Sea Bright. She was always the crazy person who thought she could ride out a storm and would trudge through flood waters to get to her job at the bank. I am grateful that she did not have to see the town she loved destroyed. Seeing Sea Bright in this state would have broken her heart. It breaks my heart just thinking about it. Unfortunately, the house she owned is probably destroyed and will need to be demolished. It's painful to think about because I had so many memories in that house. Although, the Sea Bright I know and love has been destroyed, the memories I made there will forever be in my heart!
I have no doubt that New Jersey will bounce back from this terrible event. I remember years ago there was a shirt that said "new jersey: only the strong survive!" I believe that's true. Every resident who has called jersey home will bounce back from this. It may take a year, heck maybe even 5 years but we will rebuild and we will survive and we will be better then ever.
This storm has made me reflect and look at my life. If I lost everything in the storm, what would I have left. I probably would be upset that my iPad or my computer was ruined, which is pathetic. There are people out there that have no where to go. I now realize going shopping every weekend is not important. I need to stop caring about materialistic things and start caring about what really matters in life. I know I am only one person but I want to do everything in my power to help rebuild the place I call home!
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