Reality Check

I think most of us in Jersey and New York are accustomed to our local weather people blowing approaching storms and inclement weather conditions out of proportion. It's an easy thing to discount something that is so inconsistent and often fueled more by ratings than rationale thinking. A few days before the Hurricane Sandy rolled into town there were tell tale signs of her presence being made up the coast. Ominous clouds billowed above. Loaves of bread and water seemed to fly off the shelves. 

Our part of town didn't sustain too much damage, but taking in all the pictures, video clips and weather updates made my heart ache. Along the coast line homes were demolished, boats tossed in their marinas like toothpicks and our beloved Jersey boardwalks ripped apart and tossed along the waterways. 

As I drove up to Bayonne Wednesday afternoon the reality of how bad things continue to be set in. Bayonne, Jersey City, Newark and other surrounding neighborhoods essentially shut down. Driving through Bayonne was like playing a real live version of frogger. There were no stop lights. Every store along Broadway was dark. The occasional opened pizza shop all displayed the same CASH ONLY sign with a line of fifteen to twenty people being handed a slice of pizza through the store's window as to avoid theft. Cash only in an atm dependent world only to realize pretty quickly how invaluable that plastic card is when every bank and atm machine is not functioning.

Driving along the side streets little kids and adults could be seen bundled in their cars in vans trying to stay warm. But gas, something we so easily take for granted, is not the easiest to come by. I drove around through Bayonne and Jersey City and we couldn't locate one running gas station. It wasn't until I reached exit 11 of the Turnpike (Bayonne is 14a) that the first gas station could be sighted and the line of cars was easily fifty cars deep. 

I honestly have never seen anything like it in my life. Hudson County Park was totally taped off with trees that seem to have been there since the beginning of time with countless uprooted lying still on their sides. Trees hanging precariously over power lines, cars weaving in and out of side roads and people lining the streets in an effort to stay warm and pass the time. 

We need to keep the countless impacted by the Hurricane in our prayers. We need to help our neighbors, our loved ones and extend ourselves in a way that, maybe, you have never done before. Sort through your things. Locate a few blankets you might not have used in some time. Pack up any cases of water remaining from your Sandy stash. Throw left overs from your last trek to a hotel (you know you stash stuff...we won't judge) from shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc into a bag. Pass these items that we take for granted onto someone who could desperately use them. Contact the Red Cross, your area church or synagogue and help those who can use it. 

Don't just sit there...help out and I promise you'll feel pretty good.