What to say, what to say

Tomorrow is the annual CDR Auction, and we (meaning me) are going to give a little talk during the main auction. I've spent the last few days racking my brain, trying to come up with a good stater or lead-in. In the fall, when I spoke at an event, I completely threw out my notes the moment I hit the podium. Chances are I would do the same thing, so I am inclined to go with the moment and speak from the heart. Regardless, I still need an intro...

However, my brain, eyes, and ears have been hijacked by all of the coverage from Japan- specifically events related to the Fukushima plants. I am checking on international sources, which are proving to be drastically different from US reports, hourly. And my fingers are also flipping the iPod to Twitter updates. The status of those reactors has my undivided attention.

For as long as I can remember, I have been deeply captivated by nuclear energy- from a very young age. I remember seeing blast footage- a clip of a clapboard barn being destroyed in our early atomic experiments, and that imagery is seared in my memory. If I had to guess, the raw power of the footage has haunted me ever since. Then came Chernobyl and the countless National G editions dedicated to it and our reliance on nuclear power. Once again, it was the photos from National G- images from the abandoned Ukrainian village- turned over tables, lonely toys, closed curtains... yet again, pictures haunting me from the past. (Don't even get me started on the Silkwood movie, which I own.) Today, as the events have unfolded, I can't help but see the parallels. I can't even begin to understand the fear that is coursing through the Japanese people.

So I may not know what I am going to say tomorrow, I do know what I going to say tonight. A prayer. A prayer for Japan and its people, for those already lost to the natural disasters, those looking for help, those looking for loved ones, and those aiding in the search and rescue effort. A prayer for those who are working at Fukushima, those already impacted by its damage, and those who are reporting its status from the front line. And a prayer for us all to remain hopeful in light of all of these mounting tragedies.

"In all things it is better to hope than to despair."

-Goethe