Anniversary ?

[The emperor has no clothes]

That seems the wrong term for something tragic. About a month ago I met a customer who had recently moved to Havasu. We got to talking and he told me his wife and he came here from NorCal. We don't get many transplants from there, most come from SoCal. As we continued to talk it turned out they had been burned out in the "Paradise" fire. They had lost everything pets, home, friends, except for each other. If I remember correctly they had lived there almost 30 years. You could tell from talking to him he was still kind of shell shocked. But, he was more worried about his wife who was having a really hard time. I'm not sure if they will stay here. It seemed they were still searching for a place to regain their life. Reading this story today made me think of them. I hope they are doing ok. It kind of makes one count their blessings. No matter how much life can throw at us, things could always be worse.

https://news.yahoo.com/rebuilding-paradise-a-year-after-the-camp-fire-one-couple-finds-healing-in-starting-over-110051114.html

[mbramley]

 I am also a believer in you never have to look far to see someone with more struggle or tragedy than ourselves.

[Valkorado]

Thanks for the perspective.  

We're dealing with aftermath from a water leak,  kitchen floor and some cabinetry and countertop coming up.  Had to fire one very shady contractor already.  Old school honest contractors are  pretty much unobtainium nowadays.   And winter is coming on fast.

When it rains it pours.   I still haven't bounced back fully from being rear ended last July.

But...

Things could always be worse!

[Gryphon Rider]

Alberta was shocked by the devastation in Fort McMurray due to a huge fire in 2016.  The loss of life, evacuations, and loss of property in California make that event pale in comparison.

[Savago]

A good report on the huge tragedy was written by a cartoonist (Brian Fies) first as a short story for a newspaper (http://brianfies.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-fire-story-complete.html) and later as a book (https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Story-Brian-Fies/dp/1419735853/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=A+fire+story&qid=1573150530&sr=8-1) that I really recommend as a short and good read.

[baldo]

A good report on the huge tragedy was written by a cartoonist (Brian Fies) first as a short story for a newspaper (http://brianfies.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-fire-story-complete.html) and later as a book (https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Story-Brian-Fies/dp/1419735853/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=A+fire+story&qid=1573150530&sr=8-1) that I really recommend as a short and good read.

A tough read. I can't even imagine........

[J.Mencalice]

Another saying the our mother appropriated for such tragic circumstances:
"There but for the grace of God go I."

She used it frequently when making observations of her nursing profession.  One for you, mom.

Wildfire is a force that man can only wonder at.  Try as he may, he has no real control once all the elements that come to play makes it inescapable.
You can feel their pain.  They are refugees.

[da prez]

  One of my dads sayings was , "I thought I was poor as I had no shoes, Until I met a man with no feet".
 Put it into perspective. There is always something or someone else worse off.

                                       da prez

[DDT (12)]

Rob,

Thanks for the sobering reminder... Yes, as bad as things seem to get for us sometimes, there are always those for whom circumstances are even worse. Your empathy and concern for the human condition is usually apparent... in posts like this, even more so. Thank you...

DDT