We take in broken computers every day at The Little Laptop Shop. The customers who bring them are stressed out, and understandably so. Increasingly we rely on these fragile machines to manage our personal and professional lives. After Hurricane Sandy, I was curious how many computers we would take in for repairs due directly to the storm. Only a few blocks from the shop, streets and homes were flooded. A week later power had not yet been fully restored to many local residents. To my surprise, we received only a handful of storm-related repairs, a few had been soaked by water and others sustained damage from the power outage.
Wanting to help out, I volunteered with GOLES yesterday, a Lower East Side relief organization. It quickly dawned on me why we were not seeing more sandy related repairs. The people I came across had much bigger problems than not being able to check their email or the loss of family pictures. They are living in apartments that have been ravaged by floods, without heat or running water. The flood may have receded, but they will be sorting out the damage and disruption to their lives for a long time to come.
Computer problems are a nuisance, but they are not life threatening. As the storm fades into memory and the little everyday dramas become normal again, as they are bound to, it’s good to remember events like Sandy to keep life’s ups and downs in perspective.
Wanting to help out, I volunteered with GOLES yesterday, a Lower East Side relief organization. It quickly dawned on me why we were not seeing more sandy related repairs. The people I came across had much bigger problems than not being able to check their email or the loss of family pictures. They are living in apartments that have been ravaged by floods, without heat or running water. The flood may have receded, but they will be sorting out the damage and disruption to their lives for a long time to come.
Computer problems are a nuisance, but they are not life threatening. As the storm fades into memory and the little everyday dramas become normal again, as they are bound to, it’s good to remember events like Sandy to keep life’s ups and downs in perspective.
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