California Revisited

In November I spent two weeks visiting Los Angeles. One of the highlights of the trip was driving the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica north to Ventura. I recall the beauty of the communities nestled on the hillside, overlooking the spectacular beaches along the Pacific Coast. Now the Pacific Coast Highway is a disaster zone, parts of it are closed, and the areas that are open offer a devastating landscape of burned-out houses, lost memories, and misery.

The desperation of the residents still hangs in the air. I can only imagine the emotions the residents faced as the fires closed in. What do you take when you know you’ll never see your home again? Pets, of course! Documents, sure, but what do you consider important? Mementos, yes, but which ones? A keepsake given to you by your first love, your best friend, or your parents is priceless emotionally. But which one do you take?

I’m having trouble deciding what I’d take with me, and I have plenty of time to think about it. Some of those people only had minutes before they had to leave. What would you take?

The world has moved on as headlines of other disasters have replaced news of the devastating fires, but for the people who have lost their homes or businesses the story of the fires never ends. Months later the charred remains of burnt-out properties remain. It will take at least a year just to remove the debris. Some people will choose to rebuild, others won’t. What was destroyed in hours will take years to rebuild.

As I sit in my office typing this, I reflect on how fortunate I am, but I realize that everything could change in a moment. For the people of California, this nightmare will continue for years. Insurance claims must be settled, architects hired, and reliable builders found. And finally, three or four years from now those people will have new houses, ready to be furnished.

I feel fortunate to have seen the area in its glory, but my heart reaches out to the people there whose lives and communities will never be the same.