Italy, in the aftermath
Italian disaster puts our problems in perspective
I’ve never been to Italy. But I spent a lot of time there Wednesday, gripped by the photos of devastation coming across the wire after an early morning earthquake in the central part of the country hit 6.2 on the Richter scale.
People, in obvious agony, being hauled from rubble.
Once majestic architecture and city streets reduced to dust and ragged blocks.
A nun sitting on the street with blood running down her face.
A blanket-covered body lying next to a pile of debris.
It was tough to sort through the images of disaster.
As I write, international media are reporting 120 people have been confirmed dead, a number expected to rise.
The mayor of the Amatrice, a small town in the affected area, was quoted as saying his town “isn’t here any more.”
Guido Del Rizzo was also thinking about the people of Italy Wednesday afternoon.
He’s the honorary consul of Italy in St. John’s.
Born in northern Italy, he moved to Newfoundland for work in 1965. “It’s a sad situation,” he told me. Del Rizzo expects the next few days will be particularly tough, as emergency responders sort through the rubble and establish makeshift facilities to care for survivors.
Apparently the earthquake destroyed a hospital, too.
I tried imagining what it would be like if the Health Sciences Centre or half of Water Street crumbled to the ground in seconds.
Or if 120 local people — children, mothers, and fathers — were lost in a natural disaster.
I simply couldn’t go there. My mind wouldn’t let me.
But I made myself be reminded that such devastation puts many of our problems into needed perspective.
The sputtering economy, the price of oil, political fumbles … important and real issues, but for the most part, they can be resolved or tackled through collaboration, creativity and will.
As a colleague says, much of what we get worked up over is really not that significant at all.
Certainly none of our current challenges compare to massive loss of life and property at nature’s hands — the sombre and significant hurdle facing Italians right now.
Today, and in the weeks and months to come, they’ll be mourning, trying to heal and also rebuilding. That’ll be daunting. So keep the people of Italy in your thoughts. And count your blessings.