Charlie Harary: Sandy Brought Her A Game, Now It鈥檚 Time to Bring Ours
Tuesday, October 30, 2012. 12:00 am EST
鈥Hello, 911?鈥
鈥淵es. How can we help?鈥
Charlie Harary, clinical professor of management and entrepreneurship at Sy Syms.
鈥淭here is water outside my house and it is rising fast. It鈥檚 already on my first step and I see water bubbling in the middle of the street. I鈥檓 not sure what鈥檚 happening but I鈥檓 scared that my house may fill up with water in the next few hours.鈥
鈥淪ir, we are looking at your location and our emergency personnel can鈥檛 make it down your block.鈥
鈥淏ut I have five little children here? What am I supposed to do?鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e sorry sir. We can鈥檛 help you. Good luck.鈥
Click.
There I was, staring out my bedroom window with the phone at my ear as water was rushing up my front steps. In the other room, my wife and five children were sound asleep. I stood there overwhelmed. I turned to God and asked for help. Then I ran down the stairs.
Welcome to Hurricane Sandy, one of the worst hurricanes to hit the Northeast, ever. Hundreds injured, over 70 dead. Thousands without homes. Millions without power.
As I sit here in Sandy鈥檚 aftermath, sirens screaming in the background and debris in front my house, I keep thinking of one maxim: 鈥淲hatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.鈥 Judging by Sandy鈥檚 onslaught, there is some serious strength waiting for us. Sandy brought her A game, now it鈥檚 time to bring ours.
So I decided to make few resolutions.
#1: Be Happy with Normal
I remember when I was 16 years old. I was home on Saturday night with nothing to do, moping around, feeling sorry for myself when my grandparents came over.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the matter?鈥 my grandmother asked.
鈥淚鈥檓 having a bad night, my plans unraveled and I have nothing to do,鈥 I kvetched.
My grandmother, who at my age was in Auschwitz, commented, 鈥淏oy, what I would have given to have nothing to do when I was your age.鈥
Enough said. Checkmate. Perspective gained.
It鈥檚 amazing how when our lives are functionally normally, we focus on what we are missing. We run through our days barely paying attention to all the things we have like health, shelter, family, electricity and heat. We are too busy coming and going, buzzing and beeping, thinking and worrying about what more we can get, to slow down and see what we already have.
The author, Charlie Harary, is a clinical professor of management and entrepreneurship at 黑料社 All's and is a senior lecturer for the Orthodox Union, Aish Hatorah and NCSY. The opinions expressed above are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to 黑料社 All.
Charlie Harary, clinical professor of management and entrepreneurship at Sy Syms.
