NOAH DISEMBARKS

"IF ONE'S REACH CANNOT EXCEED HIS GRASP, WHAT'S A HEAVEN FOR?" SOMEONE SHOULD REMIND THOSE 'LOST' SURVIVORS OF HURRICANE KATRINA THAT A HOPEFUL OUTLOOK ROOTED IN ACTION IS IMPLIED IN THIS ADVICE. BLESSED ARE NOT THOSE WITH A SPIRIT OF DEFEAT, WITH THE PARALYSIS OF VICTIMHOOD. ALL LIFE BEGINS SOMEWHERE - AT THE BASE OF A VOLCANO, LOW ON A FLOOD PLAIN, DEPRESSED, IN A SLUM, OVER A GEOLOGICAL FAULT, IN A ROOM WITH DIRT FLOORS IN THE PATH OF TSUNAMIS AND MONSOONS, IN OPPRESSIVE TROPICAL HEAT, IN A COUNTRY REPRESSED BY A DICTATORIAL REGIME, IN AN APARTMENT, LUCKY, WITH TWO LOVING PARENTS, UNLUCKY, INTO A WORLD OF RAGE, IN A TRAILER ATTRACTING TORNADOS, IN A PLACE DESTINED TO BE DESTROYED BY FIRE THROUGH CARELESSNESS - PHYSICALLY CRIPPLED OR MENTALLY SUPERCHARGED. IT IS IRRELEVANT WHETHER A PERSON IS BORN INTO A LOSING SITUATION OR NOT, BECAUSE HIS OR HER SUCCESS WILL ONLY BE MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF ASPIRATIONS ACHIEVED. ELEMENTAL NATURE AND NATURE'S CREATURES HAVE EVOLVED WITHOUT FREE CHOICE. MAN IS UNIQUE. WITH FREE CHOICE, MAN’S REACH CAN EXCEED HIS GRASP. ONE YEAR AFTER KATRINA - AND IN NO WAY WISER - AMERICANS ARE STILL DIVIDED BETWEEN THE HAVE'S AND THE HAVE NOT'S. SOME CITIZENS HAVE CHOSEN HOPELESSNESS AND STILL AWAIT RESCUE EVEN THOUGH HEAVEN IS JUST A MATTER OF CHOICE. OTHERS HAVE IMITATED NOAH IN HIS ARK. AFTER THE BIBLICAL FLOOD, HE CAME TO REST ON MT. ARARAT. FOLLOWING DISEMBARKATION, HE FIRST LOOKED UPWARD TOWARD HEAVEN AND THEN HE CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD TO RE- BUILD CIVILIZATION.