General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I've been watching TV coverage of the earthquake in Mexico [View all]genxlib
(5,621 posts)I would be honored if you wanted to share it and/or use it as you see fit. It was published in a regional professional journal so I have a professional mock-up of it if you want to PM me.
I am not sure it is correct enough for teaching. Content aside, it has some patches that would get beaten up by an English teacher. Part of that is my limited ability but part of it is purposeful. This was originally a public speaking piece and I find that what works in a conversational style sometimes violates the rules of grammar.
Writing has definitely been an outlet for me. Doing it as a public speaking exercise has been helpful for me because I acknowledge my feelings in front of friends and strangers. It strips away any shame at "not being strong enough". But you are right that the writing exercise that goes into it is the real therapy. It forces me to take vague feelings and process them in a way that can be articulated to others.
The other thing that helps is communicating with others that understand. Clearly, all of these disasters have stirred some thoughts in me so I thank you for engaging in some therapy.
It may not have been clear before but I am not a first responder in real life. I am an Engineer full time. The USAR teams have positions for Engineers to advise on stability, shoring, secondary collapse, etc. I have it easy compared to the real first responders.
But I know a whole bunch of firemen through this work. I have long thought that the hardest part of their job is not running into a burning building. The hardest part is the constant inundation of human suffering that they witness on a daily basis. It wears on them in a way that they will rarely admit and that we can barely fathom.