“This Is Not A Drill!”
“Emergency Alert: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
~Hawaii’s Erroneous Civil Defense Notification
Saturday morning, a horrific accident took place in the State of Hawaii, a false alarm went out over the state’s emergency civil defense notification system telling people that there was a ballistic missile inbound for the state and for everyone to take immediate shelter. For 38 minutes, our fellow Americans were not sure if they were experiencing the last moments of their lives or not. It was 38 terrifying moments of people scrambling to find some kind of shelter against a possible thermonuclear disaster of unimaginable proportions. What would you do? What could you do?
The Washington Post published an excellent narrative by writer Allison Wallis who lived through this moment in a perspective piece, Being a mother in Hawaii during 38 minutes of nuclear fear. Allison writes of her experience with waking up to this alert and then trying to care for and comfort her young daughter all the while trying to reach her husband on the phone. Imagine you believe you have only minutes to find safety for you and your child…how can anyone possibly prepare for that type and magnitude of fear? I wholly encourage you to take time to read the article but be prepared to feel the anxiety and fear that can only be a shadow of how it really must have felt for those 38 minutes.
Empathy is a noun which is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Roger Ebert is quoted as saying, “I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.” Empathy for one another is one of the greatest human traits ever understood in the history of humanity because it gives us an ability to connect with our fellow humanity in acts of compassion that surpass all understanding. We all react to things differently based on how we were raised and the experiences we had growing up but the ability to extend our feelings towards each other in empathy puts us all on a level playing field for humanity’s sake. I confess I was moved as emotions stirred deep within me as I read the accounts of Allison during those few terrifying moments and her trying to comfort her child. I have young children, I have people I care about, I have no earthly desire to see a nuclear holocaust strike any part of our planet…period. How could I not feel the panic and fear she felt, how could I not wish to reach out a comforting hand and try in some manner to comfort not only her and her family but the entire state of Hawaii?
As a nation, I feel we are losing our ability to be empathetic towards those who need understanding, towards those who need comforting and towards those who are just in need. We are often quick to get out our checkbooks or open our wallets when a natural disaster strikes as we see wreckage where there was once a city. In Hawaii, there is as much wreckage there today as if it had been hit by a tsunami, but this wreckage is emotional wreckage. No buildings have been destroyed, no rouge wave has washed away the homes and lives of thousands of Hawaiians. The wreckage lies deep within in the new-found terror and fear of the vulnerability they now face.
This whole event goes to underscore the importance of being prepared for all manner of disaster be it natural or man-made. I ask you to read the article above and then have the challenging discussion with your family about what you can do to prepare for an emergency. If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail. As the snow and freezing temperatures continue to fall today, please be careful and as always, take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com