Happy first of Sepetember. I love the firsts of any month, they feel rife with promise. I guess, that is, unless your home, loved ones and livelihood have been washed away by a hurricane. Six months or so ago, a very dear friend of mine got a great job working for FEMA, that's one ofthe government agencies that is called out in times of emergency like this. Other than being told to expect that FBI agents might show up at our door as part of regular policy to background check all government employees (they haven't turned up yet, but hey, if you guys are reading this: she's GREAT! A stand-up gal!) I wasn't expecting much. I thought, "I doubt she'll see any catastrophes in her first year." I don't know if it was that I didn't want to envision her going into such a situation, or that I was just being naive to nature's ironic timing.

But just like national guard soldiers waiting to be deployed to Iraq, my friend is waiting to be deployed I believe first to Mississipi for up to 4 weeks where she can expect to sleep in one of those pitched-up Army tents, and that she should be prepared emotionally as well as physically for what she is going to see in the way of devastation, both structural and human. Wow. I mean, wow. Most of us will never get up close and personal to this kind of disaster, but my friend will be in there doing what all of us want to do, but won't be able to, actually providing direct assistance.

I will try not to worry too much.

J