Post Sandy: Putting the Office in Context

Life just never stops. Just when you think there are certain staples in your life, like electricity and public modes of transportation, Mother Nature reminds us all that nothing can be taken for granted.

After 2 days of downtown candlelight living,  I decided to go to work on Wednesday.  Since the office had electricity, it was a chance to reach friends and loved ones, charge my devices and go to my gym for a shower. Dressing for work in situations like these have limited rules. I went for comfort, a black skirt and sweater with flats, because I didn't know how I was going to get home. Plus, all client meetings were canceled and the firm was lucky to have staff in.

I got lucky with a cab in the morning and as I passed 39th street on the east side, the vibrancy of midtown smacked me in the face. It never lost power. People seemed to be living like the last few days were just a bit of rain - with nail salons full and restaurants busy. The difference in the city was indescribable.

The commute home was even stranger - a reminder of how close to the edge of chaos a city like New York and life can be. I caught a bus headed downtown only to learn that it would not be going below 23rd street given it was night fall. As we got below the demarcation line of electricity, the bus turned quiet, cell phones lost signals and everything got dark. My 25 block walk down 1st Avenue in the dark, on Halloween no less, was overwhelming. The only lights were from the few cars going by and the couple of pizza places and bars open by candlelight. An older gentleman in front of me literally walked in to some scaffolding because he couldn't see it. There were certainly a few times I sped up because I wasn't sure of the guy next to me on the street. My cellphone was only good as a light, so that I could let cars know I was crossing a street. You could feel the emotion in the air: a couple more days of this, and not everything would be so tame. All I could think was that if something happened to me, it would take some time for anyone to find me. The next day, after hearing this commuting story, my company got me a hotel room near the office.

Pic from the walk home

Yet, I am one of the lucky ones. A couple of days of no electricity, warm water or cell service is survivable. My neighborhood got power back on Friday night. And while many bodegas have hand written signs saying the food is spoiled and not for sale, things are almost back to normal. There are so many people with worse conditions that have no end in sight. My prayers are with these families and I've donated supplies to nearby shelters.

The worries of work, clients, annoying internal meetings and office politics all mean absolutely nothing when you lose everything, even if temporary.  Mother Nature steps in when you least expect it. I learned that... no, I've been reminded of that again in more ways than one this week, as a very personal tragedy coincided with this turn of events. You've got to take what's important - like a loving husband, a warm home, a beautiful child - and hold it close to you. The rest will be there.