We’ve seen it on our screens for days now, the devastation of entire neighborhoods; schools, places of worship, shops, restaurants, and landmarks, all through the eyes of photojournalists whose job it is to communicate and record what’s happening in our larger world. When asked to select and describe their photos, these AP journalists added words.
Here are some of comments on their photos –
- “Having covered dozens of wildfires, some of the largest in California’s history, I immediately knew the scale of destruction was unlike anything I had ever seen.” Ethan Swope
- “One of the biggest challenges in taking this photo was ensuring my safety in such a hazardous environment. The air was thick with smoke, making it hard to breathe… Documenting the aftermath while respecting the emotions of survivors is always a challenge.” Jae C Hong
- “When you hear that thousands of homes have been destroyed, a picture like this reminds you that each of those homes represent the memories collected by the people who live there. For some it stretches back generations.” John Loucher
- “I chose this picture because of the trees. The dramatic light illuminated the yellow caution tape that cordoned off townhomes and trees that had been burned by the Eaton Fire. It was a crime scene. Scorched trees are everywhere. I’m going to keep photographing the trees. They are part of us.” Carolyn Kaster
- “The (broken) statue makes me think of the tragedy of Pompeii. The volcanic eruption turned humans into preserved stone statues. The Southern California fires have turned us headless and homeless. We lay down with our arms crossed motionless in the face of an environmental catastrophe.” Damian Dovarganes
“Devastation” is the word that most fits this situation. We speak of devastation when something has been “brought to ruin by violent action.” This was no ordinary forest fire, but a case of tornado-type winds fanning the flames of a fire fed by acres and miles of exceptionally dry vegetation. As the days have gone on, the situation has fulfilled its promise of what devastation does, “to reduce to chaos” not only the lives of firefighters and families directly involved in fighting or escaping the disaster’s rages, but an entire region of the southwestern United States. As news of the “disorder “spreads across the nation and the world, people recognize our common “helplessness,” to repair what has been destroyed and to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The Many Faces of Loss
When losses occur its helpful to name them accurately. These losses caused by the fires are Traumatic Losses, like those caused by war or other natural disasters like floods. They come suddenly, ‘out of the blue, ‘carrying with them Cumulative Losses on the way to becoming, for many people, Living Losses or Chronic Sorrows. The effects of some losses will endure throughout a person’s life, and beyond, continuing to cause their life to fall short of what they had expected it to be.
It’s extremely helpful when people respond with kindness and compassion, responses we don’t see often enough when things are going well in a community. Rather than asking, “Why Me? Or Why Us” images of people rolling up their sleeves and getting busy doing what they can do, what needs to be done –– helping one another, providing food, clothing and shelter, provides inspiration and solace for those directly involved, but also for those of us recognizing ourselves in this situation. As Frances Weller reminds us, in his book, The Wild Edge of Sorrow, “Everything we love we will lose…Everything is a gift, and nothing lasts.”
What Can We Do Now?
During the time I was researching responses to loss for my book, The Art of Grieving, I worked with several organizations of nuns. They shared a ritual they do when losses occur in their communities and beyond. This ritual begins with a question, one that each of us can ask ourselves in this situation of horrific losses. As we respond to what this event means in our own lives, to the lives of our loved ones, and to the future of life on this planet, we ask this question. With awareness of the possibilities of Secondary Losses that will no doubt follow the present ones, and of Anticipatory Loss as we look into the future, we ask and respectfully wait for answers to this question, “To what life are these losses calling us? To what life are they specifically calling me?”
Image and quotes from the AP article here: https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-wildfires-photos-8c2f2767b3722ccbb98d6e78a563c1f4
