The Eye of the Hurricane

I posted this last night . . . and then this morning I took it off the blog, nervous that people would think I'm being callous about the hurricane. I try really hard not to be a jerk. Please know that when I say "poor New Orleans" I really mean it. Thank you. Now, read on.

I'm sure this is making national news in America, but over here I wouldn't have known about Hurricane Katrina had I not just read this article in the New York Times. Seems that the entire city of New Orleans, Louisiana is being evacuated, due to fears that the level-5 hurricane will cause scary-massive flooding in this already-very-wet city.

In the time it took me to read the article, I had all of the following responses:

1) God! This is really scary! Poor New Orleans!

2) I've always wanted to go to New Orleans, ever since I read The Ghost Belongs to Me in elementary school, and, a little later, Interview with a Vampire. I hope the city recovers! I want to go there!

3) The image of every single person in a city trying to get out . . . kinda reminds me of Stephen King's The Stand. Gosh, that was a scary book. And this is a scary storm. Poor New Orleans!

4) Wow, look at how many people have been killed in other level-5 hurricanes . . . a lot more than in most terrorist attacks. Acts of nature are scary in such different ways though, because we can't really avoid them, just deal with them better. Terrorism, though, is a choice.

5) Hey! People in New Orleans! Come to Israel, where it's safe! (wry laugh)

6) I'm not a nice person for thinking number 5. I should just be scared and sad for New Orleans and not enjoy the bitter irony of people who think I live in a dangerous place, and therefore don't come, and therefore keep Israel's tourism industry at a standstill, having to evacuate their whole city! Really not nice.

7) Hm. "Evacuating a whole city." Where have I recently heard that? Hm. Do you think that Hurricane Katrina could be some sort of cosmic ripple caused by the evacuation of Gaza? Sarah, don't be a fundamentalist psycho. Stop it with the armageddon theory. But it could be true! No, it's not, get a life. Could be. Not. Could be. Not.

Anyhow, I will keep the people of the Gulf Coast in my prayers. I hope that by the time Katrina hits land, it's nothing more than a summer shower. And if it turns out to be as scary as it sounds, I hope that everyone will remain safe and that minimal material damage will be wrought. If anyone from the Gulf Coast is reading this . . . know that someone in Jerusalem is thinking of you! (And I'm usually a nice, normal person.)

***UPDATE***

Wrath of God?

No.

How do you know?

Just shut up, will you?

You ever hear of Noah?

I said, shut up!