WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY - "There but for the grace of God go I," keeps ringing in my head, and not just because the ubiquitous reports of devastation and sparks of hope in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are calls to action for every able bodied citizen of the planet. There's another reason.
Hurricane Camille, 1969:
In 1969, my family was blessed to survive, even benefit in some ways from, our experience with Category 5 Hurricane Camille. I wrote about it in a true-life short story posted at Toowrite.com.
NOTE: I'm not thrilled with the liberties TooWrite.com's editors took with my story. I didn't mind their translations from American English to the Queen's English (e.g., rewriting "color" as "colour"). In fact, I rather fancied those. But the story had already passed muster with Mum, a former English teacher, and the editors' more substantial edits were unwarranted and less than beneficial. But that's the price of getting published by Northcliffe Electronic Publishing Ltd. In the scheme of what's happening in the world today, this petty gripe isn't worth the time it's taking to report (or read) it.
Anyway, the summary that TooWrite.com published is listed below. Click "Read story" for the full text.
Title: Rainbows After the Storm
Escalating emergency alerts for the category five hurricane spooked Mom, who stockpiled candles and stood watch for Dad. Bob, Misty and I retreated below decks where the tempest seemed less intimidating.
Date submitted: 15th Jan 2003
Author: Lisa Tolliver
Competition: Competition 8
Read story
Hurricane Katrina, 2005?
Visit www.americanredcross.com, conduct an online search of "hurricane relief," or visit any ISP home page or news outlet to learn how to get and give help. I'll publicly address some of those issues, and what others and I are doing--and can do--about them, in my September 14 broadcasts.
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