I just met this guy who regaled me with stories of how he was in the thick of the Yolanda efforts with his politician boss. Truly I was happy for him and everything he believed he has accomplished. Including his need for therapy after his ordeal. Until he told me to my face I should go to disaster stricken areas like those hit by Yolanda so I may learn a thing or two. I am humbled by his suggestion and I think I should too. But let me share a story or two. In 1991 Mt. Pinatubo erupted. We were in the thick of things during the eruption. I watched peoples lives change in seconds from secure homes to piles of rubble from heavy ashfall. I covered the lahar deluge and saw mansions and shanties alike eaten by the flash flood of sand filled rivers. I saw people rendered homeless with everything they owned buried under tons of lahar. Me and Julius my partner almost died in one major lahar flow. We saw natures destructive force right smack in the middle as it was happening. When Mayon Volcano erupted in 1994, we were there to witness the destruction it caused to Bicolanos. When war hit Mindanao we covered it from right behind the front lines. During the Luzon killer earthquake I cried as I watched a young boy die while helpless rescue workers frantically tried to dig him out of tons of concrete in that Dagupan Elementary School. I threw up inside the chopper as we were landing in Baguio City when the stench of death hit my nose. I threw up again in Ormoc when I saw the lines of bodies after that tidal wave. I have seen tragedies, war, disasters both natural and man made. We old school reporter guys go to a coverage, report what we see and then go home. No one asked us about our nightmares! No one asked us about our inner turmoils. No one asked us if we were alright. Not one of us needed therapy. We ran to a coverage. Reported what we saw and went home. As for the devils we take home with us, we dealt with it in our individual manners. We dont ask for much after. We like to talk about our coverages only among ourselves during a round of drinks. But mostly we silently bear our inner struggles. So thank you new friend for the interesting advise. But as we beat reporters like to say - been there, been that, always going back!!!
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 09:36:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015