Getting through the aftermath

I’m going to try to write a little less about the hurricane tonight. The situation in New Orleans is, in a word, bleak. With the levee broken more and more of the city is flooded and it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better. This is one of those times when I really realize just how little control I have over the world around me. It might be arrogant but I always feel that no matter what happens I can take care of it. But here is something where all you can do is watch and shake your head. As I’ve said before, please support the relief efforts. CNN is not kidding when they describe it as a refugee situation.

It is strange how much this storm has effected me. I left work yesterday feeling like I had spent the entire day watching the rain while it was a beautiful day here in Kansas City. I feel like I need to take a break from the news just so I can get my head on straight and begin to address those things that are within my control. Of course, this means that I just change the channel and see Greta Van Sustren talking about the missing teenager in Aruba for the third straight month. Ok, I admit that I need a break from pictures of utter devastation but is that the answer?

So, I’m going to make sure that I write about one positive thing today. On Friday night I went to see Jack Johnson and had one of my best concert experiences in recent memory. The show was at Starlight theater, which is this nice big outdoor theater. And, for the first time in two weeks, when I went to a concert outside it didn’t rain on me. It was a great venue for the show: really good sound, good sightlines (though it is Jack Johnson, it’s not like there is a massive stage show or anything), and even with it being a general admission show, there was no problem in getting a seat. That might be the most impressive fact, even though it was general admission and a Jack Johnson show the number of drunken idiots was really at a minimum. That was a very nice surprise, I was expecting a number of people to act as if this was their first time at a concert, as well as the first time that they’ve ever had a beer.

Jack put on a great set, playing all of his songs. Which, as someone next to me said, all sound the same. That really doesn’t bother me because he is a surprisingly good songwriter. It is meant to be this laid back, surfer dude music but there is an edge to his lyrics. All in all it was just a great escape, to sit underneath the stars on a gorgeous night and listen to great music with an appreciative crowd. With everything that has gone on since then I need to remember that there are certainly some great things going on in the world. Some places might be going through some tough times but as always, we’ll pull together and get through it.