adversarial wrote:
Neuroman wrote:
Some people on this site seem able to connect with people they don't know. How do you do it?
I cannot speak for anyone else on this matter, but for myself, I think that a large part of the expression of words of remorse in relation to things happening to other people whom I have never met is a technique I was brow-beaten into emitting when considerably younger. Some people have actually called me a 'psychopath'; not because I revelled in the misfortunes of others, but merely because I was less pliant in terms of being manipulated by the 'news'-gathering media and the idle chit-chat about natural disasters going on around me.
I do not revel in the misery and misfortune of people I have never even met, on the other hand though, I see little point in turning the unpreventable misfortunes of others into my own personal Turbo-Charged Histrionic Soap Box.
Adversarial, I know how you feel. I used to not be able to connect with people affected by horrible circumstances. In fact, I used to jump for joy whenever a major hurricane was headed for somewhere in the U.S. In fact, I used to get so upset when it would weaken before getting to the coast. For example, in 2002, Hurricane Lili was also threatning Louisiana, although further west in the state. It was a category 4 the night before it hit. That morning when it hit, it was down to a 2. I was so dissapointed.
Although I was sad that 9/11 and the tsunamis hit, I did not feel a lot of empathy twoards the victims. Sure, I donated money to help them out, but to be honest, I guess I was doing it because everyone else was. A big reason that Katrina has affected me to the point of crying was I live in the South and I've been told that Southerners tend to stick together more as if they were family more than other parts of the country. Although I don't know if that's true, this hurricane hit too close to home for me. I have family living in Laurel, Mississippi, about 75 miles inland, and I still don't know what happened to them.
I've seen disaster films like The Day After Tommorow and Deep Impact. I never thought anything like a major city being wiped off the map would ever happen in my lifetime. Plus, I like seafood and that spicy cajun food New Orleans is famous for. Man, I love jambalya and gumbo. I love New Orleans jazz music. Although it may not be the best city to live in, it sure was a great place to visit. Heck, I enjoyed visiting New Orleans better than I did New York. Maybe it's some Southern pride that was previously untapped that is now tapped.
01 Sep 2005, 10:29 pm
