When the vast majority of people buy a home, they consider first if the home will meet their needs as well as schools that their children can attend, and if they can see the place where they would want to spend a significant amount of their lives. That is true on the Chesapeake Bay where I have a home and certainly true for Maui as we witness the heart-breaking devastation caused by the fire and wind. There are similarities between the two places. One of the first things I learned when in Maui was the weather was a key factor and the same was true for having a home on the Chesapeake.
The Chesapeake is well known as one of the best places in the world to sail. You also need to know what you are doing and the unpredictable weather that makes it challenging. You need to be prepared for all possibilities. Wind and waves change direction and force in a heartbeat. The Bishop of Pennsylvania, Lyman Ogilby, taught my whole family how to sail. He introduced us to the area. His father was President of Trinity College and Lyman was a Connecticut Sailing Champion. His skills resided in that the right moves were second nature to him. On one occasion, a quick storm arose out of nowhere with circling winds and I was pushed way up the Bay to the point that Vicki had to call the Coast Guard to look for me. She indicated afterwards as well as recently that she was OK until the Coast Guard Officer asked, “What was he wearing?” I was battered and bruised being thrown around the boat. When you live on the Bay, you know that things happen quickly. This is true for Maui as well as we have seen. There were reports of high winds on their way to the island but nothing about fire. It is that ingredient that caught them by surprise.
I have written a blog about the brush fire that occurred by a mistake by a new neighbor that threatened a number of properties along our beach front stretch of homes. My new neighbor worked in construction and his son was used to clearing property by controlled burns, but he did not know the weather and wind that occurs on the Bay. He knew about fire but not about wind.
I didn’t see the fire that came roaring up the bank of the neighbor’s property but I was informed that six firetrucks and twenty-five firemen plus a fire boat saved the homes. The only property that was scorched was the property of the neighbor but not his home. When I finally made contact with the new owner, we had an animated and not necessarily positive exchange. We agreed to meet on my deck when I could get there. He made a comment that made me furious. He said that “I should thank his son!”
When I met with him and his son, the exchange started badly between the father and me. When he attempted to leave in a moment of self-righteous anger, I told him to sit down, and he did. But then something happened that changed everything. I turned to the son who hadn’t had a chance to speak. He is a rapper chains and tattoos and all. He did not listen to his father not to try a controlled burn there. He apologized to me for what he did and not knowing about the wind on the Bay. It comes when you least expect it. I sensed that he had a depth of character. I have said often that I agree with the observation of Malcolm Gladwell, a thought leader and interpreter of human behavior, that you can tell everything about a person that you need to know in the first fifteen seconds of meeting them. I have to admit that this observation has failed me at times.
I looked at the father and said, “You don’t have to worry about a thing about your kid!” Everyone calmed down, and the father told me why I should thank his son. The firemen were yelling to “Save the houses! Forget about the properties!” His son ignored their command, grabbed a garden hose, and ran down the bank focusing the hose on my property line while his steps down the bank were burning. Later, he would replace those steps with his own money and time. The homes sit on a bluff with steps down and a switch back path to the bulkhead and beach. From what I have been told the son did this instinctively without even thinking. Save the neighbor first. I found out later what might have informed that spontaneous decision. The new owner was a millionaire in the construction business who grew up in the most difficult circumstances. He was forty-three and retiring. There were times when he was a single parent of his children. He taught them three things by example: work hard, your choices have consequences, and put others first by his own example. Given all of this, it was natural for his son to do what he did.
But there is more. I had a private conversation with the son. He told me how much he loves and respects his dad. He was the constant in their lives. He went on to say that even if he becomes a star rapper, he will always keep his father’s business going to honor him. The son has already gained some fame in the rapper world.
So, what does this have to do with fire, wind, the Bay, and Maui. I think a great deal! I always told my Ethics students that there would be important themes that we were going to hang in the course like clothing on a clothesline.
I had them watch a movie, Before and After, starring Meryl Streep and Liam Neilson. It is about a lie and how it can cost you everything or a circumstance that comes your way in unexpected fashion. The theme is “Your life can change on a dime and you never know when it is coming, sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad.” It is the reason that ethics must become second nature so you automatically have a response that can save you from a dilemma. It is like an athlete who practices hard and often so that a required shot can be made automatically. The son had that. If he didn’t all the properties on that stretch would have gone up in smoke. I noticed that the people in Maui are gaining strength from their generations of ancestors who have shaped their lives. The government has not been quick to act so their natural response is for neighbor to help neighbor. It is second nature for the people of that small island.
Another theme is that “we tolerate what we understand.” Tolerate here means to be able to move forward once you understand the cause. It doesn’t mean that you are happy about it. We are seeing this in Maui where there are many questions and few answers. There is speculation but no facts. We do know that people and inadequate systems failed those on the island. Preparation is essential whether it is knowing how to sail or what you should do when a terrible storm with a mix of wind and fire overwhelm you. It has been pointed out that reports were issued to update the power grids and communication systems, but they were ignored.
Another theme is “this could never happen to me.” Yes, it can and unfortunately it will because “Tragedy doesn’t have a ticket into our lives. It has a box seat.” This is not a negative view. It is a realistic view.”
So, what are our strengths and our personal ethical outlook so we can hold against the proverbial wind and fire that will threaten us. The last theme is “that there comes a time in everyone’s life that you discover your core values. You learn that they are at the heart of what you have been, what you are, and what you will always be. That’s a great place to start.
Continue to pray for the people of Maui!
Comments