Rock Me Like a Hurricane

I have to say this was bigger than I expected. In New York, it's become a semi-annual tradition to shit on weather men, and scoff at over dramatic media warnings as just typical media fear mongering. Hurricane? Yeah, whatever, I'm planning a barbecue at the exact time that you said we're going to have to evacuate our homes. Screw you, media! Usually, this type of attitude is rewarded by a dud of a storm, but this time it seems Sam Champion, Mr. G and your aunt were all right. This storm was freaking nuts. It's so bad that I've almost reached hurricane fatigue. There's only so many photos of submerged cars, fallen trees and long lines at places that don't normally have long lines that anyone can take. Of course, this being a fatal natural disaster there's no way you can say things like that without sounding like an insensitive clod. For people in Brooklyn, we haven't really had much to complain about. I, personally, only lost power for a few hours (even if it was in the middle of an episode of Homeland), and aside from a few downed trees here and there, my neighborhood escaped largely unscathed. This is not true of many, many other New York neighborhoods though. The majority of my post Sandy conversations with Manhattan and New Jersey residents have gone as follows:

Me: This storm is such a nightmare. I lost power for a couple hours the other night, and had to just go to bed since the tv didn't work. I missed the Lakers game! Then I had to take an express bus for 2 hours, and stood the whole way! My life sucks so hard right now.

Manhattan person: I slept next to a hobo last night. I still haven't found my husband, and I think this gash on my arm is infected.

Me: Gotta go.

With the little effects the storm had for some of us, it's easy to dismiss other people's bellyaching as more annoying complaining. Sometimes it is just that. People who refused to evacuate their homes when they were repeatedly told to, or those who chose to ignore commands to stock up on supplies have no right to whine about no one helping them. But as more and more stories come out of deaths, and the days go by for people without heat or power, it's important to remember that this shit was real. Now, with the lack of gasoline, and public transportation problems, alongside the eerie photos of a destroyed Jersey shore, this storm has taken on the characteristics of an apocalypse. Walking around the city, though, I've noticed people aren't as ornery as you'd expect. Most people are willing to help others, and are even going out of their way to in certain cases. The hurricane porn might be getting old for most of us (if I never see another photo of a tree on the ground it will be too soon) but it's a reminder that mother nature doesn't play, no matter how jaded we are in New York. Now I'm going to go complain about the Knicks game not being on tonight to someone.