Tale of 3 Sandy Cities

During the storm, news reporters would tell of the "Tale of Two Cities." They reported on those in the city with power & those without power.

My experience was a Tale of THREE Cities.

I grew up in Staten Island. I was born there. I went to grammar school there & the second half of my high school. After graduation, I went to the College of Staten Island for one year.

I began my high school career at Fashion Industries & stayed there until my Junior year. F.I. is in the NYC neighborhood, Chelsea. I attended & graduated from college in Chelsea at F.I.T. & currently live here as well :)

Sandy left Both of my most beloved neighborhoods in the DARK.

Both with...

Varying degrees of the effects from the storm.

Staten Island was hit bad.

Chelsea was without power.

Both with...

Fear of Looting.
Lack of Car gas.
& an Overall Mad Max vibe. Like at anytime something seedy could go down without recourse.

Then there was this illustrious 3rd city...

Above 27th Street was As If NOTHING had happened. It was heart breaking to watch as people complained about trains being late or not being able to get their coffee Fast Enough!!!

Especially, when only 4 blocks away some people didn't have toilets to flush. Or even worse miles away in SI, Long Beach, Rockaways, & Breezy, where people were left HOMELESS.

The callousness of some people really hit home. The selfishness & inability to care about our fellow man made me truly saddened....

Then finally the HEROES arrived!!!

In Staten, strangers were helping strangers, neighbors, family, & friends.

The hurts of the pending marathon were healed with the resulting runners helping move furniture from loved ones homes. A man wearing his running numbers while carrying a couch is an image I wish I had seen but was lovingly told.

As my incessant anger & rage toward those unable to have empathy for less fortunate raised it was SAVED by those nameless heroes who saved all who needed help.

I was left to Feel BLESSED.

I silently said this prayer in Gratitude: "The Beauty of the human spirit kept me warm when I had no heat & kept my path lit as we walked without power. Blessed are we to have all of these amazingly kind, generous strangers surround us daily who instantly transformed into our Heroes."

16 days after & I still feel perplexed by all that has happened.

NYC & my 2 cities will never be looked at the same. In Chelsea, 7 days without power & we learned to adapt. I think back to the day after I got power. Even as the sun would set I panicked bc I wanted to make sure everything was where I remembered it for candle light. Then a week later and it was still fresh in my mind. Now over 2 weeks later & stories are continuing to come in from All over! Staten Island, in some parts still doesn't have power & Heat! & It is COLD outside :(

This experience has taught me that no matter how big the event it is up to the individuals perception on their reaction to it. For instance: one person can lose electrical power while another can lose a home & depending upon the individual their reaction can be the same!

It's odd but true.

The strongest people I have seen have been those that lost the most. Meanwhile my neighbor still complains about the day she spent having to walk up & down 8 flights to walk her poodle.

Same city. Different experiences.

Today, what was your reaction to Sandy?!? Did you experience it's backlash first hand? What were you most shocked by, the lack of response or the overwhelming service of strangers. Times like this did you see the rain gauge Half full or Half empty?!?

Xo