Healing

Paul and I just got home from a much needed trip to Galveston.

It has been over month since Ike hit and there is still a ton of work to be done. Lots of buildings are still boarded up but the majority of the buildings still standing are in pretty good shape and about half are back in business. Electricity and water are back on but things are definitely not back to normal.

It was alarming to be driving along a seemingly ordinary, clean road when out of the blue and completely out of place, there is an enormous 75 foot boat laying on the median with the mast cut off so as not to impede traffic. Things like that happened again and again.

This is an example of what I mean about driving along and being accosted by something very wrong.

The streets are clean and street signs are up. Only about one quarter of the traffic lights work so everyone treats the corners as 4-way stops. I like the order that our laws give when things are out of order.

Next to some roads, huge piles of debris are waiting to be picked up and and taken to a landfill somewhere. And as soon as they are, they are replaced with the beginnings of new huge piles of debris that will await their turn. On other roads piles of rock, concrete, and asphalt sit patiently expecting the same fate.

It was hard to find a hotel room as they are all occupied by or being reserved for workers, FEMA, Red Cross, roofers, electricians, etc. One hotel would only give us a room if we were staying for 5 or more days. We felt a little guilty walking through the plush hotel lobby in our swimming suits and surf board while others were wearing hard hats or FEMA badges.

It was an ideal day in Galveston; the beaches were clean, the air was warm, the waves were perfect, 4-6 foot and glassy with off shore winds. If you had clicked here Thursday morning, you could have watched us.

It was exactly what was needed. . . . and now Paul can sleep again.