30 Seconds

It's almost 1AM and I am wide awake. I was in bed very - and I mean very - early tonight. I read from 7:30PM and turned off my light at 9 o'clock. Can you believe I was even too tired to write? Bob was already sleeping soundly. Boy, aren't we the exciting couple!
Today's trip to Manchester with cousin, Sharon, was lovely. It is amazing how much two women can talk -all the way there, all the way back, all through lunch. The only time we stopped even a little was when we were down to the serious business of shopping. Although all in all I would call the day a big success, on the way from Greenwich, NY to Manchester, Vermont I got us seriously lost. We drove on some pretty desolate roads, up and over a few minor mountains as the snow swirled around us, ever faster and faster. It was what you might call an adventure. Sharon had recommended we take the usual route from Greenwich to Manchester, a route she knew, but no, I had to go the faster route. With the help of a couple of local fellows at a Pizza joint in Salem, we eventually made it back to the Equinox Hotel. By the time we arrived, we were good and hungry. By the way, in case you are interested, the food was excellent. It is a great place to have lunch - cosy atmosphere, a roaring fire, and attentive Waite staff. If you are ever in the area, make a point to stop there.
At this point you may be asking yourself, what does all this have to do with the title,
30 Seconds ?
Basically, as I mentioned above, I am lying in bed wide awake, when visions of today's lead story start filling my head. How devastating! Sometimes words don't do justice to a situation and this is one such instance. Devastating doesn't begin to describe the horrors that occurred as a result of a mere 30 seconds. After watching the news report for awhile after dinner and seeing the extent of human suffering currently blanketing Haiti, I had to turn the TV off. This is one time when a pristine, crystal-clear, large screen TV can be a disadvantage. Everything is so vivid and real. This is a reality that I would much prefer to be an extravagant Hollywood production. Isn't dire poverty enough for one country to bear without throwing in an earthquake on top of it. And, did it have to occur in the densely populated capital of Port au Prince? Did it have to be a 7.0 on the Richter Scale? It does make one wonder and question the meaning of life. It brings to mind the age old inquiry, "Why God?" Like the rest of you, I am familiar with a lot of the answers that are typically given; I've read Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People, etc., etc., but tonight as vast human suffering stares me in the face, and fills my mind, I can't help but ask the question all over again,"Why God?" So far the only solace I feel is the fact that it appears the worldwide community is coming together to help with human suffering rather than for the purposes of war.
Mary Beth