After nearly a week of unbelievable images coming out of Houston it feels like an end should be forthcoming, but it’s not. Meteorologists believe that after a week of torrential downpours and nearly 49 inches of rain, there is still more to come.
The National Weather Service Office serving Houston described the rain amounts as unfathomable and has reached such epic proportions that they have had to create new colors for their color coded map.
At a time when they should be doing damage assessment, Houstonians are still preparing for more flooding.
Through it all, the citizens remain resilient, generous, compassionate, and even heroic.
Next week, where possible, schools are set to reopen and students will return to class. I suspect that they will be seeking refuge from not only the physical storm, but from their emotional one. Their lives have been disrupted and in some cases, their homes destroyed. These students are seeking a sense of normalcy and a return to something familiar. They will be looking to return home. Last week I spoke of our rehearsal spaces being a second home, and for some, this will be truer than ever.
Throughout the climatic crisis, I reached out to all my clients and friends in the Houston area to inquire as to their well being. To a person, each director stated that they were in constant contact with their students and that they were all “weathering the storm,” literally and figuratively.
As I processed through all that they were dealing with, I found myself wondering how many other non music teachers and administrators in Houston were in contact with their students during this time. I wondered if this response was universal or if music teachers were just a little bit different. I am not suggesting that other teachers care less than music teachers, but that the community of music creates a different level of engagement.
I don’t know how I would respond in a similar situation, as I have never been faced with such dire circumstances. I do know that while the rest of the world is saying, “Houston, we have a problem,” I know a dozen or more directors saying, “We’re here, and we’re working on it."
To Mike, Blair, Chris, Andy, Steve, Gene, David, Daren, Joni, and the rest of the music teachers in the south Texas area, know that we are all thinking of you and wishing you the best.
Have a great week and send some loving thoughts down south.