Our Home Town

A bit of earthquake coverage, beyond that of newspapers, which touches the heart. A range of photos by Brian Neller (never met) on his facebook entry captures many of the older parts of the CBD and on the streets in the immediate period afterwards. Regular readers might note a building that appeared behind Charlie Chaplin in my New Year posting has now collapsed completely.  Thanks to to Bruce Springsteen (knowing his reputation he will certainly not begrudge this use) his song "Your Hometown" is used as a very evocative backing for post earthquake slide show by Blair Granger (also total stranger) . Bruce's haunting tones may help other highly stretched locals and ex-pats shed a welcome tear for our own beautiful but oh so terribly damaged hometown;  tears to relieve that heavy-heavy stress of these black days. (ps Facebook links may not work for all viewers, or work at all - I have never tried this before)

On a friend's Facebook to another friend, she says, "I drove past the Bealey Ave end of the cordon [around the no entry CBD area] on Barbadoes today, after returning a 6 year old boy who had stayed with us back to his mum in Brighton - thought of you but got distracted by the moment happening on the cordon - a man on a bicycle breaking down sobbing and the army dude walking over to him and wrapping him in his arms...."

What an amazing little cameo that moment is. Let it stand for all that can not be said, too big for any words to render.