Reflections on Good Ole’ Boys What I Learned in the Mountains
During the Hurricane Helene Disaster it was those men and women who volunteered to save lives.
If you had told me 6 weeks ago that I would find myself in North Carolina, with mostly Trump supporters and working with a church, I would have laughed, too. I don’t blame you.
Yet, here I am, being called “ma’am” and having people with guns protect me at night. When I left Canada I thought I’d be walking in these Blue Ridge Mountains, not working in them.
I am now the “media lady”, as they call me, working with the head of the operation, a man I call “Boss”. Boss has been here, the site of an antique store from better times, since Day 1. He is in charge of a continually growing volunteer army, equipped with heavy machinery, ATVs (for where trucks can’t go) and outdoor warm hunting gear. Their church is restorationchurchNC.org
In the morning I go to the first meeting of the day, where we learn of children found dead in those mountains, and the day’s goals of finding survivors and tracking where…to find more.
By the end of the day, it’s bitterly cold and they hover around wood-fuelled barrels before returning to their tents. Some lucky few have RVs. They are all volunteering to save the lives of people lost up in the woods with no heat or food…their lives washed away in Hurricane Helene.
Here, they call me “Canada Kim”`. This morning I was told, by a volunteer, that Kamala Harris’ husband is controlling the weather to make money off the drilling and lithium. I just nodded. This is not the place to argue politics or the lunacy of such a statement. It’s about saving lives. I don’t believe Doug is controlling the weather for profit, but that’s not a conversation for now.
Boss
The Militia
Beside me, as I write this, there’s a group calling themselves a “militia”, putting up tents. They donate to charities and, also, have two AR-15s in their truck. They laughed at the look on my face. They thanked me for coming down, “ma’am”, and said “Bless ya!”…not the condescending kind (I am told). They have donated $60k+ to the cause, they say. The leader says they don’t want to overthrow the government, but will heed the call when necessary to defend Americans. I didn’t ask for clarification.
They are giving their blood, sweat and tears. Fewer people will die because they are here. That I know. Outside of this world I don’t agree with Harris haters, but I do believe in saving children who are freezing.
What I’m Asking Myself…
How did we get here? We are humans, on a fragile planet, and yet so divided. So utterly divided. We divide across political lines and geographic lines, but even within a country (or two) we can be so different. If I was in a political debate right now I’d find this very uncomfortable. I’m not. These people protect me, right now.
Where I find the learning point is “What is the thing that divides us”? Messaging, for sure. The loudest voice is often the best heard. Right or Wrong. For me, I know who that voice is. But, here, these are people, who don’t have time to follow 6 channels to get a clear view. They are busy surviving, and helping people some others forgot. And what IS clear is that militias and volunteers are doing the grunt work.
I don’t see authorities coming here the way they did in Florida. They need, apparently, NRA folks and militias to find and bury the dead before winter. I use less judgment now.
