Sandy Frankenstorm.

Well.



Miscellaneous interjection, but also my wishes for everyone right now. I hope this finds you well.

It's been an overwhelming week to say the least. I came home to Toms River ahead of the storm, and my family was fortunate enough to only lose power for a few hours, and barely experience any damage to our home. Less than a mile east, the Barnegat Bay flooded homes and ate away at the coastline. Less than five miles south, the Toms River rose, submerging downtown. Less than five miles east has fallen into the ocean.

I have wonderful memories of many summer days spent at Island Beach State Park. We had family picnics ever August in Normandy. I have Ortley Beach badges going back more than a decade, and more recently have spent a lot of time walking to the beach from my friend's house in South Seaside Park. Just a week ago, I drove the entire Coastal Heritage Trail to complete the Lighthouse Challenge for the third year in a row with three of my best friends.

I love New Jersey more than most people. This is heartbreaking. Devastating. Just... awful. But what's making it even worse for me is cynicism and negative attitudes. It's really hard to be optimistic in the face of the absolute wreckage, but focusing on stupid political things and how the power company hasn't gotten to you yet isn't going to make it better. Maybe that's easy for me to say because I haven't been without power, but I've been there before, honest. We went a week without power, water, phones and much of anywhere to safely go after Irene last year. The families who live on site at Johnsonburg are toughing through that for the third time in a year right now. Even still, I called to see if I could bring anything, and I was asked if they could do anything for my community.
 





Why not assume the best? Over three million customers without power is A LOT OF CUSTOMERS. I've read things about New Jersey turning away non-union workers, but maybe there's something more to it that we don't understand, and besides, they've gone on to help our neighbors in New York. Millions of people have power back at this point, and so many people are working around the clock to make that happen. And honestly, as inconvenient as losing power is, there are so many who have it way worse just a few miles away in a shelter because their entire home, power and all, is gone. 

I love this website because right now, I think being positive is more important than ever. My favorite thing about post-Irene? Thankfully heat was not really an issue, but we just spent time together. We talked. We laughed. We sang. We got a good night's sleep.

No matter how alone we feel, we're not. No matter how devastating this is, it's not forever. No matter how much it will never be the same, at least we had it in the first place, and other great things will come from this. Power will come back. Things can be replaced-- or maybe they don't need to be. But we still have each other and the great, great Garden State. Am I foolish in my optimism? Maybe, but I don't really care.