What I Learned During the Storm
By Chief Danny Watson, City of Darlington Chief of Police
There are so many phrases I could use to describe what I learned during Hurricane Matthew in our darling little town. Some of the things I learned are ones that already dwelled in the recesses of my mind. They were only further confirmed by witnessing them with my own eyes. There were events that both surprised me, and reinvigorated my long held hope that the “milk of human kindness” really does still exist. I’ve always known that there were people who would give others the shirt off of their backs or the last dollar in their pocket.
The click of a light switch, which can so very easily banish the darkness, no longer held its sway for many hours. The television was not chattering mindlessly in the background of every meal. People came outside and sat on porches in swings and rocking chairs, in their yards, or even sat upon their steps in the cool night air. It was so very dark that you had trouble seeing your hand in front of your face. If you walked the blocks and streets of neighborhoods, you could hear the hum of many conversations dancing through the air. Suddenly people had a very small amount of things to do besides talk to one another. Our world, which is so connected by social media and the Internet, became a microcosm once more of small family units huddled together in their small zones of comfort.
Inevitably, there are those who will go out and take advantage of the darkest of nights to fulfill selfish wants. I had someone tell me that they thought people after a day or so would break into places because of the need of food or other necessities. Not a single time or a single place did we have this happen. Our thieves were just the same old ones that we had all along, those who would break into shops where such items are not kept. None of the items taken were the staples of life, only things to fulfill their selfish wants.
It is an unpleasant reminder that there are people who are so very remorseless and evil they would steal the coins off of a dead man’s eyes. They are the people who seek to gain advantage because of the desperation of others. Finally, there are those who are so consumed with greed they will exploit everyone they can in the name of profit. This is very often just the nature of humankind; not all mind you, just some. Unfortunately, by this small percentage we are often judged by as a whole.
The good people do as good people always do; they shared what they had, and waited patiently for the time to pass. It was not easy, it was not simple, it was hard and it was unpleasant- but they survived. These are the people who helped their neighbors, and checked on those in their small communities to insure that everyone was taken care of with no exceptions.
They began to help when all of the clouds were gone and the rain ceased to fall. When the waters receded and the winds died down to the gentle autumn breeze that brought a bit of chill, which caused one to step just a bit faster. The people came together to begin to clean up the signs the storm had left in its wake. Branches were retrieved from where they had come to rest, pine needles, cones and leaves were raked up to be carted away to sights unseen. One would think that at the end of this, as the cleanup began and the power restored, that people would once again rush back to their busy lives, once again having little regard for those around them.
The most thrilling thing of after this storm is that they didn’t do this at all. Neighbors helped neighbors to begin to pick up and move forward. Businesses had entire shifts of employees who volunteered to be a part of the cleanup. I’ve always said, “I depend upon those who show up.” They are the ones you know will be there when you need them. We as a city discovered a whole new crop of these people of all different ages, shapes and sizes. Despair and turmoil get the most news time so often that we forget to look around us at all of the good that is really out there if you open your eyes. There is nothing more refreshing for the spirit than a long drink from the chalice of the milk of human kindness to remind you of why you do what you do. I am happy, but I am not content to allow this to die down as memories of this tumultuous event fades in our minds. It is my hope that we can remember what brought us together and made us stronger. We became, for just a little while, the family and community we could be every day if we only choose to be that.
This is dedicated to the many law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS workers, dispatchers, volunteers of every service, as well as Duke Energy, the many linemen, tree companies, employees of Aluminum Ladder, IGA, Piggly Wiggly, Walmart, ASAP Steel, Sav-way and many others who helped us all to weather the storm.
Chief Danny Watson MPA FBI NA # 228, Chief of Police for City of Darlington, has been on the Darlington Police Department since 1994 and Chief since 2011.
The News & Press will be sharing updates and opinions from Chief Watson on a regular basis; you can also keep up with the department on their Facebook page: Darlington Police Department.