I decided a couple of days ago that I simply can't keep watching the new on a daily basis--it's just too disturbing and probably sends my blood pressure through the roof. This decision conflicts with another feeling that I have, that I'm responsible for keeping conscious of all the injustice and worse that's going on in today's world! I guess it's a question of striking a balance.
However, I'm still upset--as are many of us-- about the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Puerto Rico, and the racism and history of colonialism that's behind it. But now that 45 and the other bigwigs have had their photo-ops and are less in the media picture there's more room for stories about what ordinary Puerto Ricans are doing to care for themselves and their communities--giving the lie to the statement that "they want to have everything done for them"! Consider the inspiring story in today's (10/17) New York Times about the things that residents of an isolated area are doing to help one another:
"Stranded by a Hurricane, Creative Puerto Ricans Improvise to Stay Alive"
By Caitlin Dickerson
Rufino Tamayo
As one way of coping with awareness of this great tragedy, I wrote a short story, "Maria," which I learned today was accepted for publication by Adelaide Literary Magazine for their next edition. My goal was to write the simplest story possible about the experience of surviving the hurricane, so I told the story from the perspective of a six-year-old girl living in a remote mountain community. I'll post a link to the magazine when it comes online, which may be as soon as in a week.
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