Bail-Out Issues Strike Home

We are fond of saying we live a block from the Charles River......most of the time. This is the rest of the time. Ten inches of rain in 72 hours! The Charles is over its banks, with water coming up and onto the two-lane road we walk on nearly every day. The ducks and geese are swimming right up to the street. That part is charming; it's the only part that is charming.

The rest of the story is the five inches of water in the lower level of the house - office, workout room, laundry and storage rooms.  The pumps have been going 24/7 for the last five days. Rolls and rolls of sodden carpeting have been torn out and lie sullenly on the lawn.  Boxes of magazines, books, articles we have read, articles we have written, long ignored plaques denoting journalism awards, paper goods, sports equipment, travel memorabilia, and all of the accretions of 30+ years of living in our home are being jettisoned.

Neighbors are helping neighbors.  Those who have no heat and hot water are showering in the homes of those lucky enough to have heat and hot water.  There's a spirit of community. We're all in the same boat, literally and figuratively.  Then it's on to the world of insurance, claims adjusters, deductibles, restoration and replacement. Or whether even to  make a subtantial claim thereby risking premium increases or insurance denial later.  It's a time to think about what can't be replaced and what really matters.

Beyond the discomfort, inconvenience and expense, we're still intact.  We have what counts, and future blogs about politics and public policy lie just beyond the bend -- in the river.