Gosh, Terry! I so appreciated your last post about what you are doing differently this year. And now all this. I am grateful to you for keeping us all connected to the reality of situations like the L.A. fires, especially when you absolutely could just be focusing on matters close to home. Take good care, and do let me know if I can help at all!
As usual this thoughtful and thought provoking essay brings personal experience - this time dramatic - to bear on general insights. This is the best account of experience of approaching fire I have read, and I trust it because I trust this truthful author. The conclusion is important too: individual actions, about one's house and neighbors, and our changing world, matter. They will keep us caring about the general good.
Wow! These situations are really unimaginable for most of us. Thanks for sharing this incredible account of what it's like on the ground. I'm so glad you and your loved ones were not harmed. I am grateful for your helpful community but not surprised given how compassionate you are. Hugs and hope things get better all around.
Dear Terry: This is one of the most comprehensive, personal, and insightful reads about the tragedy of fires (applicable to other similar catastrophes) and our response to them that I have read. Having been affected and survived a collection of catastrophic events in my life (massive earthquake in Venezuela, three hurricanes in Florida, flooding in several places, and fires in Costa Rica, Venezuela, and California), I have slowly and painfully learned a few of the lessons you share in your piece. However, seeing the mass destruction of the current fire events in California and having heard of friends who have lost everything, I realize we still have much more to learn and do in our personal lives, socially, and in communities. Thank you for articulating so clearly so many elements of adapting, surviving, and valuing the pieces of our lives.
Thankyou for sharing this personal account of recent events. It has been truly shocking to witness the devastation caused by fire this week. I am in Western Australia where there is also an increasing risk of uncontrollable fire. Our thoughts are with those whose homes and businesses have been destroyed and all those trying to combat this climate change driven emergency.
We have made the change to electric car, solar, heat pumps and carbon offsetting travel etc. Son has been working for a data science company that assists business to calculate and reduce their carbon footprint. There is much that we can do Together to mitigate climate change. But we must do it Urgently. Best wishes.
I too had been thinking through a reply to your last post when I learned about the fires, and I immediately thought of you and others in the evacuation zone. From afar the scale of the tragedy is incomprehensible. I can’t imagine what it has been like to experience it personally, and to see the impacts on your community. Thank you for sharing your thoughtful observations with us. Take good care, Terry.
Gosh, Terry! I so appreciated your last post about what you are doing differently this year. And now all this. I am grateful to you for keeping us all connected to the reality of situations like the L.A. fires, especially when you absolutely could just be focusing on matters close to home. Take good care, and do let me know if I can help at all!
As usual this thoughtful and thought provoking essay brings personal experience - this time dramatic - to bear on general insights. This is the best account of experience of approaching fire I have read, and I trust it because I trust this truthful author. The conclusion is important too: individual actions, about one's house and neighbors, and our changing world, matter. They will keep us caring about the general good.
Wow! These situations are really unimaginable for most of us. Thanks for sharing this incredible account of what it's like on the ground. I'm so glad you and your loved ones were not harmed. I am grateful for your helpful community but not surprised given how compassionate you are. Hugs and hope things get better all around.
Dear Terry: This is one of the most comprehensive, personal, and insightful reads about the tragedy of fires (applicable to other similar catastrophes) and our response to them that I have read. Having been affected and survived a collection of catastrophic events in my life (massive earthquake in Venezuela, three hurricanes in Florida, flooding in several places, and fires in Costa Rica, Venezuela, and California), I have slowly and painfully learned a few of the lessons you share in your piece. However, seeing the mass destruction of the current fire events in California and having heard of friends who have lost everything, I realize we still have much more to learn and do in our personal lives, socially, and in communities. Thank you for articulating so clearly so many elements of adapting, surviving, and valuing the pieces of our lives.
Thankyou for sharing this personal account of recent events. It has been truly shocking to witness the devastation caused by fire this week. I am in Western Australia where there is also an increasing risk of uncontrollable fire. Our thoughts are with those whose homes and businesses have been destroyed and all those trying to combat this climate change driven emergency.
We have made the change to electric car, solar, heat pumps and carbon offsetting travel etc. Son has been working for a data science company that assists business to calculate and reduce their carbon footprint. There is much that we can do Together to mitigate climate change. But we must do it Urgently. Best wishes.
I too had been thinking through a reply to your last post when I learned about the fires, and I immediately thought of you and others in the evacuation zone. From afar the scale of the tragedy is incomprehensible. I can’t imagine what it has been like to experience it personally, and to see the impacts on your community. Thank you for sharing your thoughtful observations with us. Take good care, Terry.
I've nothing to say other than to take care, please. I loved living in Pasadena when I was a postdoc.
My thoughts are with all of you down in LA. A friend of mine lost their house— I can’t imagine what that must be like. Thanks for this account.