Last Updated: May 31, 2000
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One of three winning stories by Mike Jacobs of the Grand Forks (N.D.)
Herald that won the editorial writing category of the 1998 ASNE Distinguished
Writing Awards.
Friday, May 9, 1997
Some thoughts while stripping a basement:
We are not what we own.
If we were, we'd all be much less than we were a month ago - and each
of us knows we are stronger, more generous and more patient than we were.
Patience is not inexhaustible.
The mood in our town is getting testier as junk piles up on our berms
and we learn it will take weeks to get attention from an electrician.
Our cities need to do something about both of these situations. Whatever
limits have been imposed on haulers and electricians must be re-examined.
Not knowing is the worst thing.
We all learned this while the floodwaters were rising, and the truth
hasn't changed. It's good the cities have defined what areas must be cleared
for a floodway. There'll be controversy about the proposal, of course.
That's healthy. At least now we have something to react to.
We all want answers, and we want the answers to be consistent and fair.
Above all, we want the talk to be plain. Frustration with formal answers
and bureaucratic jargon is on the rise - and contributes to a feeling of
impatience and alienation our cities can't afford.
Someone - Mayors Stauss and Owens, perhaps - needs to deliver a lesson
in courtesy and plain talk to every officer of every government agency
in town. The vast majority of them are doing heroic work, but there are
a few of the other kind.
Humor helps.
All over town, wags have attached signs to their piles of garbage, or
they've arranged things in a way that brings a little smile. Or, they've
made up jokes to share with one another. One of the new ones suggests a
new state motto. It would be, ``North Dakota: Land of four-season disasters
(Blizzard, flood, drought and poor hunting).''
It's not true, of course, but it's worth a smile.
We get by with a little help from our friends.
All across the towns, friendships are cemented by working together,
and new friendships are made when people reach out to help one another.
Charity is real.
The Red Cross truck came by with a woman from West Virginia and a man
from New York. They offered hot drinks, a hot meal, snacks and a little
conversation - every bit of it financed by people who probably never gave
us a thought before our flood.
Neighborhoods matter.
People who happen to live in adjacent houses have become neighbors,
concerned for each other and ready to offer help.
Grand Forks and East Grand Forks have always had strong neighborhoods.
The flood has made them stronger.
We're all in it together.
No one among us can wonder, ``Why me, Lord.'' In this flood, it's not
you and me. It's all of us. Together.
