Day 8: A photo that makes me sad, Greensburg Kansas

(by the way, this is not my photo, found it on www.goodcleantech.com)

It’s funny how things have a huge effect on you.

May 5th 2007 will be a weird date in my life forever….I woke up to find out that Greensburg Kansas was pretty much wiped out by a tornado. What’s weird about Greensburg is that we were staying there in a motel not two weeks before that. We had gone back to my college reunion and on the way stayed there. That evening I drove around, past the High School (which was completely destroyed) and around the neighborhoods, thinking what a traquil and nice town it was.

This was a town that was on my route to college – I had stayed there a ton of times and had stopped off at the Big Well many times too. When we passed through I even got a water bottle from the Big Well gift shop.

I know I kinda flipped out over it, but for the next week after the news, I was absolutely obsessed.  I know it’s probably not the most important thing that happened. Maybe it’s because we were right there – and maybe could have been in that destruction? Maybe it’s because I have no idea what it’s like to lose everything.  But in the end, I think it’s because it was about the power of nature. One minute a town can be there and vibrant and alive – and the next gone. For no reason. Just gone.

I applaud the people of Greensburg for rebuilding and throughout the changes in our life the last year, I keep suggesting we move there and build a house (to which I am met with not “no” but “hell, no”) – but really, I’m serious. I think it’s awesome the way they’ve rebuilt and moved forward and embraced change.

Maybe the Greensburg tornado has something to teach all of us.

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