How You Do It!

I was directed to a report that featured one of my old hockey teammate's heroics in Belle Harbor during Superstorm Sandy. The report described how Thomas Buell, "Dusty" to his teammates (so fast he left everyone in a cloud of dust), ferried people to safety on his kayak. Others were cited, Tony Woods, Troy Bradwisch, and dozens of others that I don't know.

What I find most remarkable is how the reporter missed the point. All of these people were raised to do exactly as they did. The community rises to the occasion, however drastic. Especially that community. The epitome of a Community of Excellence is Belle Harbor - who lost 59 residents in the World Trade Center on 9/11, not to mention the dozens of friends and relatives that also died then but had homes elsewhere (Dusty and I lost a teammate.) Then more people die in a jet crash a few weeks later. Now a surge of the ocean tries to wash them into oblivion and they just won't go.

Terrorist can attack but they're nothing, just depraved humans. Planes can fall from the sky, but we can handle that, that's just failed technology. But Mother Nature's fury? The storm of the century? How do you beat back the ocean?

Belle Harbor knows how - by forming a HUMAN CHAIN to bring everyone safely together.

I can think of no better display of community excellence than dozens of neighbors hip deep in a rushing tidal surge, hurricane force winds blowing, embers and smoke from their own burning houses cascaded around them, anchoring themselves to stop signs; no parking signs; parking meters; elbows locked, and receiving neighbors ferried on rafts and kayaks to them by neighbors so all can take refuge together on the only available high ground for miles around.

This is what the reporter missed. This is the magic in this story of greatness. That the people who are great would describe what they did as just what you do to help your neighbors.

That's 'How you do it!'