It's funny how you only really take on world events when they affect you or someone you know directly.
Last month, my friend Brian Sibley blogged about the fires in Greece (he was holidaying in Athens) and how great tracts of land were being destroyed and we Brits weren't helping out like other countries. It made a minor item in the news which would barely otherwise register on my radar suddenly seem more important.
This morning I got a shock going to read my friend Susan (Mooch)'s blog.
Susan and her family came over to stay in London last Summer. I'd met her and her family on my first trip to Los Angeles for the Fellowship of the Ring oscar party, and she's been a great friend ever since. Meeting up with her is always a highlight of any trip to that part of the world, and I've been the guest of her and her family in their home at San Diego more times than I care to remember.
Reading about her sudden evacuation, along with the very real threat to the family home, brings that 'minor' news item about some fires in California (almost universally angled at the celebrities whose homes in Hollywood are affected) to life in a vivid, horrid and personal way.
Thankfully, as you can see if you read her blog, she retains her wonderful sense of humour and understands the importance of these things vs what could have happened (so glad that one of the other 25 copies of the Viggo picture of Elijah Wood that I have hanging in my lounge has been saved <giggle>) in the face of what must be very worrying circumstances.
It does make me wonder what we've done to our planet, and how we could have got to a state where even now far too little action is being taken to avert a longer term catastrophe with global warming.
4 comments:
I know what you mean about the SoCal fires - G and I have stayed with Mooch and her family many times, the last time only a month ago, and it makes the whole situation so much more 'real' and frightening. And poor Bill, too; his home is even closer to the fire than the Brock home.
I had a lovely chat with Mooch on the 'phone last night, and you wouldn't believe how much stuff they managed to get in their two mini-vans! Of course Mooch is so organised that all her important papers were instantly located, and were quickly followed in to the cars by the three computer towers and the Viggo pic! I am keeping everything crossed that the winds die down and they can soon go home.
Glad you got to talk to her. If there's one person in the whole world I'd want to be with when my world turned upside down it would be Mooch - one very organised lady, as was evidenced on so many of those LOTR trips that she organised.
D'you think Bill's Patronie (or whatever that expensive liquor he likes to drink is called) has increased the fire risk to the area (giggle)?
Hahaha! That's it - Bill's tequila is the secret accelerant!
Mooch kept trying to claim she wasn't really that organised, then proceeded to prove herself a fibber by detailing the evacuation process :)
I refuse to join the club, so I'm anonymously posting
Susan said...
We are all safe and sound now, but thank you for your concern.*crinkly smile* I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy here. Maybe it's because I've been mentioned in a Ian Smith blog and I'm famous now.
Sadly, I'm only organized because it wasn't the first time we have packed up our belongings in anticipation of a fire.
Elijah was saved, but I stupidly forgot my autographed Marc Anthony picture which is actually much more valuable to me- how often does one meet there favorite star and close their eyes in the picture? Ah, the humility.
Hugs and Kisses and don't turn your Dalek on. That will help with global warming.
Post a Comment