Come Together

• Post By: Greg Crumpton
• Date: October 8, 2016
• Category: Blog
• Tags: #LifeLongLearning, commitment, Excellence, personal development, success, teamwork

Why do we come together in a time of national, regional or local tragedy, but we can’t seem to do it daily?

DATELINE: October 7, 2016, Carmel, CA enroute to Charlotte, NC

I’m watching the news today, seeing the impacts of Hurricane Matthew, viewing video on several social media platforms, and wondering why it takes something like this for people to sincerely want to help and love each other.

In Charlotte, NC, we have surely seen our fair share of un-rest lately.  The tension within the city, the boiling over of anger and just the nastiness of it all has been a very big downer for the community.  

Though today, listening, reading and watching, it seems we are at our best, as a humanity and as a populous, when things are bad.  Those fleeing areas in the path of the storm, the families within our region with nothing left to do but evacuate, are seeing our city as a refuge site.

Not to be totally blind about the tremendous amount of good happening, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office had to ride over to Gastonia, NC where some person or company that operates a hotel there, decided to jack the room rate up 300%.  That earned them a nice subpoena from the state for price gouging.  But, like any other situation, there will always be opportunistic minded folks that are trying to profit from devastation.  

This is not our southern hospitality.

I have seen this happen many times in my 52 years. I remember watching the flood victims from a nasty deal in Toccoa Georgia when a dam broke there in 1977. I remember seeing the relief efforts from Hurricane Hugo, the huge effort in Homestead from Hurricane Andrew, and now we will see our best traits shine through as we dig in to help clean, restore, donate and nurture our fellow citizens as they start to rebuild.

We are going to be landing in Charlotte in an hour or so, I cannot wait to feel the vibe of the city, where we are now calling ourselves locals. 20 years should earn that, right?  If the feeling is the same as I was witnessing remotely, it will just make me more proud than ever to call it home.

If you can do anything to help, do it.  Money, blood, sweat and tears all go a long way in the healing and rebuilding process.

Stay safe,

Greg