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Nashville, breathe
Nashville is hurting from flooding. It’s time to act, but remember it’s going to take weeks and months of work for things to get back to normal.
Pace yourself.
Remember to Breathe.
We need to act quickly. But don’t forget the calm word. We need to calmly act quickly. We need calming influences to stay sane. Breathe deeply and others will follow; This is our long-term strategy.
Join Team Green Vest.
Remember to sleep.
We will change the world. We will rebuild Nashville. But we’ll do it by going to bed at a decent hour so we have the strength the next day. We’ll do it by staying hydrated and calm.
Call out your neighbor.
Some of us are not showering to conserve water in this crisis. Good. Some of us are going through car washes. Bad. Call people out, but then don’t let it get to you. If we need to, we’ll organize a steady flow of water into this city by driving our trucks out each weekend.
We have the ability to pull off our backup plan. We have enough people thinking clearly to get us through this. Believe this.
Nashville will rebuild itself even if the national media is slow to cover the situation.
Nashville will rebuild itself even if some people are taking naps in car washes.
Nashville will rebuild itself because people are acting quickly and calmly to do everything they can.
Cry.
Feel like you need to cry? Do it. Cry and soak in what has happened. You’ll need the shock to move you to action. You’ll need to respond and mourn in a way that is healthy to getting you calm. Let any crying you do lead you to a calmer state. Violent crying is ok.
Don’t feel guilty.
Blogging to get the word out is just as important as lifting wet couches out of homes. Working at your normal job to keep our economy afloat is just as important as lifting wet couches out of homes. Join the crew on the weekend.
Pace yourself.
Breathe. That’s the first step.
We will rebuild Nashville—not by acting, but by calmly acting.
Photo credit: Just Us 3
UPDATE: Thanks to The Tennessean for asking to republish this. I feel honored! My friend Jenni took a snapshot of the clip, which appeared in the life section on May 10, 2010.
