Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Yes, I quote DH Lawrence

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
Without ever having felt sorry for itself.
-- D.H. Lawrence

Slow gazelles get eaten. That's the law... that's the circle of life. Doesn't matter why they're slow. If they're old and worn out or young and unsteady they get eaten. If they're sick and weak they get eaten. If they are otherwise healthy but they trip and fall, they get eaten. If they're lazy they get eaten. Slow gazelles are eaten.

Some people in the swamp formerly known as New Orleans couldn't leave. Some of them are infants and children. Some of them are old and unhealthy either physically or mentally. I'm really sorry for those folks who are caught up in the devastation and couldn't choose to get out.

Some people in the swamp formerly known as New Orleans could leave. Some have cars and houses and plenty of money and could've driven away. Some don't have cars and plenty of money but they could've walked away. Some don't own anything and should've walked away. I'm sorry for their current misery but they own the responsibility for their current condition.

If you are one of the latter stop whining about what everyone else should do for you and should've done sooner and could've done better. Take the responsibility for where you are and accept the fact that any help you get from the National Guard or the mayor or the governor or the president or FEMA or the Red Cross or some guy who pulled you out of your house with his rowboat... accept the fact that anything you receive from these is a great gift, not something you deserve or something that is owed to you.

Accept the fact that you're a slow gazelle and for whatever reason the lioness didn't catch you this time.

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