The Curse of Global Warming

This forum has been out of service due to Global Warming.
The man-made increase in greenhouse gasses that brought 8" of snow to places like New Orleans and Dallas last week also generated a wicked Ice storm that hit Worcester County here in Massachusetts.

Last Friday we got a call from our daughter who lives near Worcester. "We are trapped in the house with no heat or electricity. There are power lines and tree limbs all over the street. And I can't talk long because my cell phone battery is running low and I can't re-charge it. Can we come and stay with you?"

That was the first news I heard of the storm which had deposited freezing rain on tree limbs which became so heavy that they snapped and brought any wires down with them. The breaking limbs sounded like gunshots in a war zone.

Fortunately, with help from neighbors, the they were able to get heavy tree limbs out of the way so they could make their way out and escape the cold, dark cave that the house had become. They packed the contents of their dead refrigerator into plastic tubs along with some clothes and came to our house to wait for power to be restored.

So for the past week, we have been hosting the four refugees, turning my computer space, into a bedroom for the 2 active grandsons ages 8 and 6. It has been fun at times and challenging also - especially if one needs some quiet moments to write one's blog.

Last night, one full week later, they got news that electricity was back on. This morning, they returned home. Ergo, I have my writing space and the chaos is diminished.

The experience reminds us how illusionary is the safety and security of modern life. We take power, fresh water and heat for granted. We expect the supermarket and ATM machines to be available 24x7. As the Katrina debacle in New Orleans demonstrated a few years ago, we realize that we all are, in fact, a mere 36 hours from becoming savages.

It also underscores another fact of human existence: unless it is happening to us, we tend to be insensitive to the plight of others.

All is well for now. Perhaps some semblance of normalcy will return...
Wait! What is this on the news? Another 12 inches of snow this afternoon?
Curse you, global warming!