Around the middle of April, Debbie and I flew back from Chuuk to Oklahoma. It was a long, tiring flight, made longer by the need for a frequent layover for the dogs, but after five days of travel, we arrived back home.
Home was not as we remembered; our house had been occupied by a stranger who left it in disarray and who must have needed a full set of power tools for her next dwelling. We spent days trying to clean and repair all the damage - made more difficult by the lack of power tools.
The US had also changed. When we left, the majority of young people were glued to their smartphones, thumbs flying furiously as they texted messages to their best friends (standing a few feet away). When we returned, it seems as though Americans now are compelled to use tech devices to find anything or do anything. The simple art of conversation is being eroded until I fear we will lose personal contact.
Chuuk experienced a typhoon a few weeks before we left. Another hit them soon after we left. Food is becoming difficult to obtain. Coconuts, breadfruit, and bananas were struck down by the fierce winds. Taro patches were flooded by seawater. Container ships had to divert away due to the storms, and now the food supply is in jeopardy. It will be months before the trees recover and bear fruit; some will have to be replanted, requiring years to restore the food supply.
We left so many good friends in Chuuk. We worry about them and their future. I know their family members living abroad will send money to help them, but that won't be enough to restore life as usual.
No comments:
Post a Comment