Richland Chambers Real Estate
We just returned from Galveston last night. There was a RE/MAX of Texas event there, that had been scheduled several months back at the Moody Garden Hotel and Convention Center. The REMAX of Texas staff sent an email out that the hotel was back up and running and that we would go and support the people of Galveston. We were the first group back. As we drove into Galveston at 1 am Wednesday night, we were stopped by the highway patrol. You see, everyone was beeing stopped at that time of night to keep out gawkers and looters. As we went through the checkpoint, we started seeing boats everywhere except in the middle of the roads. I guess they had had time to clear them from the middle of the interstate and put them on the dge of the roads. As we were trying to find the hotel, we took a wrong turn and ended up in a neighborhood that was pitch black! We could just make out the piles of trash and debri on every sidewalk.
With the news media being so enthralled with the election, this national disaster has not gotten the attention or exposure that Hurricane Katrina got and is just as bad.
Every home and apartment at ground level looked to be destroyed. Businesses were shut down all across town and were trying to rebuild if the resources were available. Piles and piles of trash, debris from the structures that had been cleared out of homes and businesses, personal belongings, appliances, computers and you name it were scooped up in piles for disposal.
I am blogging about this because we were there, we met the people that this disaster has affected. Brave men and women that worked at the hotel that had nothing to go home to and no clothes except the ones on their backs.
Its just someone elses problem or tragedy until you experience the pain of others for yourself.
We were talking to the lady in the gift shop on Friday when we were searching for some tylenol and asked her how she was. She told us that she lived in Kema and that she had lost everything including her house. She is in the middle of fighting her insurance company. They have offered her $65k for a property that is worth $185k. She has already retired from 2 jobs, this is her third. Let this be a lesson to us all to make sure we have enough coverage on our property.
My husband awoke in the middle of the night our first night there and thought he was being attacked by fleas. It turned out that the bed was inundated with ants. We just calmly got up and picked the bed clean for ants before returning to sleep.
You see, a few ants are nothing when you put everything in perspective.
I am so blessed that I was able to see that destruction with my own eyes, because it opened my eyes.
Before we left they gave us forms to send in money to REMAX International to help those in need. There are a lot of people in the REMAX system that have lost their homes and businesses as well and that are trying to rebuild.
If anyone would like a form I would be happy to send one to you. If everyone just sent $5.00, it would be a great help!
It is way too easy to focus only on ourselves during this time of National uncertainty. But, at least we still have our homes, offices and clothes on our back. We still have inventories to sell, and we continue to be blessed by a business in which the rewards are great! Please do what you can to give back!
