Sandy & Facebook : An interesting pair

While Facebook gets a bad name for encouraging cyber-bullying and the stealing of your privacy or pictures, it is clear that even a storm can bring out the best in people and social networking. I haven't connected with anyone yet who is able to fully comprehend the devastation and mass destruction throughout the tri-state area of Hurricane Sandy. 

The generosity and compassion of people advertising their homes for food, shelter, a hot shower, or a free outlet on Facebook is super cool. For many of us braving the storm inside, we found comfort and shelter in family or old friends. I braved the storm with long time friend Jackie Gonzalez. We reminisced about youth ministry days, mission trips to Kentucky, and things that happen over 15 years ago. We laughed just as hard as we did then! 

In some of those pictures we were looking at from service trips of the 90's, we found the face of current NY state senator David Carlucci, who back then was serving selflessly, and continues to now. Senator Carlucci has been using his Facebook page to keep Rockland residents up to date of all relief services available and other important information they need. I am proud to say "I knew him when!"

Without power or TV, Facebook was the only connection to the outside world during the storm. Old high school classmate Deidre Moran Costello who lives out of the area kept all of us disconnected people updated by posting CNN updates on her Facebook wall. For many hours, this was the only way I could tell what was going on around us. 

Others kept us laughing through the insanity. My Facebook friend humor award goes to Evan Behlivanis who kept his network rolling with hysterical theater references, jokes personifying Sandy that rocked, and the best commentating on Bloomberg press conferences around. Let's face it, we need a good laugh in times of tragedy. 

What inspired this writing today? A Facebook friend, Travis Brimner posted the following: "We need prayers and thoughtfulness BEFORE the storm not after it." Yes, this is true. The generosity and humanity being showed right now is a great way to realize just how awesome human beings are. This capacity to be extraordinary is clearly inside so many of us, and we all just need to remember that the storm didn't put it there. It was always there, being drawn out of us in moments of dire need and desperation. Even if we don't show it each day, try to remember its presence within you as often as possible, and elicit the best of others when we get back to "normal" (If there is such a thing anymore!). 

Though I hate this situation and everything related to it, I am grateful to be reminded of the reason I never give up on anything: People are truly good inside. Even if it takes devastation to bring it out, never give up on that goodness even if appears to lie dormant. Reflect this goodness and others will reflect it back to you. 

To all of those extraordinary people, and the Facebook ordinary heroes - Thank you!