The Aftermath

I always wonder why it was called "aftermath". Now I know because real math and time have nothing to do with "after math". 1 week to the day after Ike made his landfall FEMA decided our little town no longer needed their help. Only 46% of our neighbors had power (I was not one of them). A few gas stations and stores were open. Not one of them had ice, meat, or any perishable foods. Ah......this must be the "after math". They must have come to the conclusion that the other 56% of us that didn't have power were some how able to get ice from other stores somewhere else. I'm guessing maybe San Antonio? In their "after math" figuring we all had it worked out. In this same figuring they decided that even though there where thousands of displaced families they did not need to open a shelter. Oh there are hotels on every corner. Sometimes there are 4 on the same corner but let me use my before math figuring and concluded that they also have no power or ice or perishable food. I know it's crazy.....you can not use "before math" in the "aftermath". Then I'm not even sure where the Red Cross was. They where not here. I never saw one Red Cross person or van except when I was at my mother's some 150 miles away. I hoped they where in Galveston or Shore Acres where people lost everything but I have spoken with a few people from those towns who also wondered where they were.....must be the "after math" figuring that had them thinking it was better to be somewhere else. Now for the positive: Workers from all over came to repair our electricity. We cheered them on and waved as we passed by. We greatly appreciate the effort they made and we are grateful to their families for sharing them with us. We could not have gotten it done without them. The Salvation Army was everywhere. Passing out food, ice, water and clothing. Offering people hot homemade meals and support. They will forever be a charitable organization that I support. Churches and local citizens stepped up all over the community. People used there own time and gas to drive west and find ice and food to bring back to people in need. As mad as I get at FEMA I sometimes think maybe they where right. We didn't need them. We had each other.