Friday, January 23, 2009
Disturbing today. I learned that an eighty five yeat old woman was burned to death in a house fire last week on the street I walk down to the bus stop. I was reminded of our own terrible house fire and my terror believing Joanna had burned to death. I am shaken thinking about that woman's terror trapped in her house, and hoping that, even given how she died, she was satisfied with having been able to stay in her house to the end of her life. I think that would be true for me - even in the face of the terror of a firey death. This incident somehow makes me want to work for a renewal of a clser neighborly feel.
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4 comments:
Yikes! Which street? That is really scary (and yes it makes me want to work on getting a neighborhood feeling too!)
Oh how sad, Victoria. I'm so sorry about your neighbor. Very disturbing indeed. I can see why it would remind you of your own house fire. Our biggest worry with my mother living by herself when she is getting so forgetful is that she will leave something burning on the stove.
Fires are terrifying. And like you I hope the woman was happy to stay in her own home til the end. Lets hope she never woke up and just died of lack of oxygen. Building a neighborhood feeling is a good thing and it would be a tribute to her if her death inspired you to work for this.
Neighborhood feelings are interesting, needing a kind of balance I think. Especially in places where one lives very close together (like here) there is a need to keep a degree of distance, as well as caring for each other and being friendly. It is definitely an art.
What an awful tragedy, Victoria. I cannot imagine how awful it must be to burn to death. I can understand why this would trigger memories of your house fire...and I am so glad that YOU all are alive!
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