Honor

Following the events in Japan has been pretty eye-opening. The video footage of that tsunami wave rolling over the countryside, and the devastation it left in the aftermath is just stunning. (The number of natural disasters lately has been a little eyebrow-raising, but that's another topic.) Watching the coverage today about Japan and how it is handling this biggest disaster of its history barring WWII, you know what stands out? The character of the people. The President of the country warns people they will have to have blackouts to conserve energy...but you know what? They don't have to shut down the power, because the people voluntarily, on their own, stopped using power in the areas they had it, for the greater good. Try that in (large portions of) America. Where reporters go, people with little food and almost no water offer them food. People stand in line for hours, holding children, to purchase what food they can, with no pushing. Every person interviewed showed incredible patience, even smiles. No ranting, no cursing and fist-shaking. There are stories all over about people right after the earthquake teaming together to help each other out. And you know how much rioting, how much violence, how many cases of looting have been reported so far in this country filled with homeless, desperate people wiped out of almost all resources? Zero. Not One. They have a long road ahead of them, but they have a population who isn't going to sit around on their butts and scream about their government or Brad Pitt not coming to their town and building everything for them while they sit there and rob every local store and home of everything they can and wait for someone to give them what they are "entitled" to; they are going to pull out their shovels and their hammers and they are going to get to work and they are going to rebuild their country, with each other. And that is character. There is a country or two, and an American city or two, which would be well served to take away a lesson on how to handle natural disasters and tragedies with dignity, grace, class and honor.

Mom went with me to take Kaylee to school this morning so we could give her the tour, and then Mom & Ernie headed back home. We always enjoy having them up. I didn't get much prep work done ahead of time thanks to feeling terrible Thursday and Friday, but fortunately I was able to clean enough to not be too embarrassed and they're gracious about having bad food for a day or two. ;)

This afternoon Steve and I both had a flight from 2-4. I stayed in the pattern in a 172 with a pre-solo student, where I am quite familiar, and Steve went up in the Cheyenne with Kevin to be safety pilot for some approaches. We both didn't get done until about 4:15, so we ran to get Kaylee out of Aftercare, stopped for a sweet tea from McDonald's, got home, sat down, and within a few minutes we were all crashing. Steve fell asleep sitting half up, and Kaylee and I laid down on the couch-she passed out right on top of me with her face by my ear, and they were both heavy breathing in moments. I then couldn't go to sleep, but I half rested anyway. Apparently we were all worn out-although from what, I'm not sure. Monday, maybe? :)

It felt good to be home, today.