These past ten days have left many of us in New Jersey with so very little to laugh about. Hurricane Sandy blasted our beautiful state. Many lost their homes and even worse…some lost their lives. For those of us who were lucky enough to visit the Jersey Shore every summer, the newly carved landscape has left us breathless. The first few days were met with disbelief but you could sense the communities bonding together as neighbors helped neighbors. It was like being on a giant Survivor show. However, when you cross over the ten day mark with no electric, heat, or water somehow you are forced to find the humor in the way it is easy to identify those New Jerseyeans with electric and those of us without. Here are my eight findings.
1- You can stand in any grocery store and easily identify those still without electric. Their baskets are filled with wood stacks, Duraflames, bottled water, and any food that does not require cooking.
2- Without much effort, those without electric can be easily picked out in the long line of cars at the high school. They are the mothers and fathers who are wearing ten sweaters, a scarf, hat, gloves and a blanket over their shoulders. Generously letting every car go in front of them to savor the heat of the car.
3- Sit in your car at any 7-11 and you will invariably be able to spot more people than not whose hair is going in every direction only to be complimented by their flip flop adorned feet covered with sweat socks.
4- I am not sure if GQ just announced that beards are back in but if they are…New Jersey is taking the lead…and not just the men.
5- Drive through your neighborhoods and the humming sound of generators blast through what was once a “quiet neighborhood.” You will also know who doesn’t have electric still because the same plastic buckets are collecting water to flush toilets.
6- You can assume that anyone sitting in Starbucks, Barnes and Noble or the local Grocery store cafe with their laptop does not have electric.
7- Take a breeze through Facebook. Somehow it feels better when you tell people you know and perfect strangers that showering has been a challenge for the past ten days. In the same light, if you see someone walking into work with their toiletries…no lights at their house.
8- Those sitting at the endless lines at the gas stations with smiles on their face…no heat…the car is a vacation spot now.
There really is no making sense of any of this. Mother Nature was ticked and took her frustration out on our state but I know this…New Jerseyeans with or without electric are survivors and we still love our shoes.
Be well Bellas,
Deborah Stilettos
“Because the Right Shoe Can Change Your Life.”
