The Human Spirit

It seems remiss not to discuss the California wildfires and how they are affecting so many people; sometimes there is a need to bring our minds away from the tragic side of this story to remember what has been saved and that is the human spirit. Newscasters are reporting on this all over southern California and are tending to focus, for now, how many homes have burned and how many people are seeking shelter at safer locations such as Qualcomm Stadium.

The coverage, like the fires themselves, began slowly and gained strength as the days have worn on. Over 1300 homes have now been destroyed and at least 1,000,000 people have been displaced through evacuations, but this is not the real story.

The lives are what really matter. Within each story lies a beautiful turn of events such as the woman who’s friend is letting her entire family stay with them or the video clips of three people, obviously civilians, helping to drag hoses along the lines of the fires assisting the firefighters in their efforts. People have come together to help; people are no longer only concerned with their own world but are there to lend a hand to each other. This is the true embodiment of what it means to be human.

Reporting on this story from New England is difficult for many right now; the top three stories seem to all revolve around the start of the World Series this evening. At first it seemed annoying to hear about such a thing because when compared to the fires it sounds like fluff. Does Josh Beckett starting game one matter more than how many people are taking shelter? Do people want to hear about a tarot card reader who is predicting the Red Sox to take this series in six games? The answer to both questions is yes. The reason it is yes has nothing specifically to do with the Red Sox team or their chances to win a World Series, the reason is what the stories are based on and that is hope.

Hope may sound like a far away emotion for the residents of communities like Ramona, California but it is hope that allows these people to make it through; to realize the only loss is material and although tragic, their families have survived. The helping hands that are carrying bottled water, lending their time as a grief counselor, or taking people in for a warm place to rest all provide the hope to survive, to start over with life. With this hope the human spirit lives on strong and will allow the people of southern California to prevail.