Operation: Hope

If you haven't heard, there's an uninvited guest heading to Tampa this weekend, just in time for the Republican National Convention....

Isaac. As in Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaac...barreling towards southern Florida as we speak.

We have a house in Ft. Myers, Florida. Directly south of Tampa. So...I've been glued to the National Weather Service and their "spaghetti" models for the last several days...eyeballing those squiggly little lines, over and over again, to see if I can "magically" move them away...away from Ft. Myers. However...I don't think I quite have the abilities to move a storm....

Last night, a fleeting thought zipped through my mind...

"Hmmm...I wonder if I'll get sent down by the American Red Cross....? Maybe I should pack."

Of course, that thought zipped in...and then zipped out...like "fleeting thoughts" tend to do...and I didn't pack.

I'd pay for that.

So...this morning, the phone call came at an early 8:00 am - will I be available to head down to Tampa to supervise a shelter? And so...I've been running around like a crazy person today, getting things ready so I can take off at 3:45 am in the morning for the airport.

Prescriptions that must be filled...

Bills that must be paid...

Phone calls that must be made...

Appointments that must be moved...

Clothes that must be packed...

ATM's that must be tapped...

Batteries that must be purchased...

Gadgets that must be charged...

Family and furry children that must be kissed...

I've ridden out hurricanes before with the American Red Cross...they're never "fun" - although they're certainly an adventure.

Lots of wind...lots of rain...possible power outages for hours, if not days...limited supplies, especially food...heat...humidity....

Bleh.

Not to mention, non-stop 12-hour days, sleeping amongst strangers on a cot in a staff shelter, and eating junk food if you're lucky to eat at all....

However...

Inconveniences are shoved aside temporarily when you put yourself out there to help others...it's the nature of the beast when volunteering for a humanitarian organization. You put yourself in "overdrive" mode and go to work - doing whatever's necessary to make sure people affected by the storm are taken care of...with shelter, food, nursing care, mental health care...

...and hope.

Yup. I can do that.

I can smile...I can hug...I can give someone a bit of hope when all seems lost.

So, Isaac...looking forward to meeting you in the next few days...

Bring it on.

Peace.