10/11/2024
Friends and family! First things first - we are safe!
Second, Milton found his stapler far away in the Atlantic. It’s over.
It’s been a life-changing month for many in Tampa Bay. First, swung through, knocking over everything in its path like a toddler with a grudge. Homes were destroyed, memories washed away, and the destruction was staggering. But somehow—by some cosmic mix-up—I walked away with barely a scratch.
I was still trying to wrap my head around the destruction when we got hit again. Enter . Yes, Milton. Who the hell names these storms? But don’t be fooled—Milton showed up with full fury, wrecking everything between Tampa and Sarasota as if the city hadn’t just been through the wringer.
I’m not gonna lie; I’m still in a bit of denial. In two weeks, I had to “mark myself safe” twice. I also had to explain to my family why there was suddenly a suspicious amount of “stress relief” liquid in my glass. But in all seriousness, we got lucky. Really lucky. Both storms tore through, and yet here we are, barely touched. But next time? I could be one of the folks ripping out waterlogged drywall, and wondering what the universe has against nice flooring.
It’s funny—well, darkly amusing—how random this all feels. Like we’re playing some kind of weather roulette, where the stakes are your home and your sanity. But as random as it seems, there’s something steady in all this chaos. That’s the people. I’ve seen neighbors helping neighbors, friends showing up with power tools and pizza, and strangers offering whatever they could to get back to normal. And despite all of it—despite the back-breaking work, the loss, the endless clean-up—there’s still this spark of humor, this unspoken understanding that if we can laugh, even just a little, we’ll get through it.
Tampa Bay, for all the damage, has shown its resilience. Twice now, we’ve been knocked down and gotten right back up twice. We’ve cracked some jokes, shared drinks, and kept moving. And that? That’s something to be proud of. So, while I’m beyond grateful for my luck, I’m even more thankful for this community and the way we’ve faced these storms—head-on, with a sense of humor that’s as tough as the storms themselves.
I am blessed to be a part of a tight-knit community and have friends who show up for one another.