Compassion is not like trying to take water from a rain puddle before it dries up in the sun. Compassion is like drawing water from a reservoir in a rain forest; it is a renewable resource. I am a Bay Stater, the formal name for being a Masshole. My Dad loved Texas people. He served with them at Tarawa. They were brothers back then and had each other's backs. I want to have the backs of the people in West, TX who have suffered a disaster with much suffering and loss of life. I have enough compassion in my soul to deal with suffering wherever it shows up. This is not a contest or rivalry anyone wants to engage in.
A few years ago I went with my daughter to an event at Harvard (Hahvahd) University. We got lost and stopped a Grad student to ask for directions. He gave us the directions then, noticing my local accent, asked me if I was "a native." "Why, are you starting a zoo?" was my response. (I just couldn't help myself, it was too good.)
I am beginning to feel like the national media is starting a zoo. I really don't want to be in a zoo as an example of Homo Masshole-erectus. It is not a good fit. We make lousy pets and are too caustic to keep in a pen for public viewing. Besides, there is no one example of overall Massholeyness that you could stick a sign on and say, there captured, the definitive Masshole on display. I know right-wing Mass folks, people who are ignorant racists or homophobes and so forth in MA. They don't represent the whole Commonwealth and neither do I.
I imagine it's the same in Texas. There are Blue State Texans and Red State Texans and Gay Texans and, hell, on and on and on. (OMG, just like here, only different. Yeah, that's the point.) Some of my favorite kick-ass liberals came from Texas. Molly Ivins came from Texas and I miss her so much.
I offer all those who suffered in the disaster in West, TX my full condolences. I believe that when we see suffering, we should try to stop it. (Then we can fight about it after they get some help.)
I am reaching the stage in MA where I want the national media to go home. (Don't you people have lives you need to get back to? What's next, interviewing the brother-in-law of the neighbor of the guy who sold the boat to the guy in Watertown? In what way shape or form is that actual information?)
The City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is starting to unfreeze from the terror moments. This is a very good thing because this tragedy will really become about the neighbor across the street whose kid got injured, the friend-of-a-friend who lost a leg, the cop who lost his life and went to school with your son at Salem State. It will get horribly personal and people need to be ready to respond.
So thank you to all the folks in the US and abroad who held us during the initial shock periods. Thanks for all the #BostonStrong moments and solidarity singing. We can dial back on that now because the normal, functioning brain of a Masshole is kind of combative. You do not want to over encourage this sort of thing because being a "Masshole on steroids" is a very bad, scary thing. We will be back to our "left turn from a right lane," "bite me if you don't like it," "screw you and hoss (horse) you rode in on" selves in time. We got this America, and we want to begin to move on. There is going to be a whole lot of sadness to deal with, but we will deal with it, as best we can, each according to his or her own soul.
West, TX and the area of the earthquake in China is in my heart. There is no competition to see who has suffered more. There is just a need for compassion and a need to apply it where needed.
Peace, my friends. And again, thanks to all who helped us at time of need. I plan on reciprocating when others need it. My own compassion reservoir comes from a renewable source.