Oh.
The headline says 20,000, but in the article they keep saying the final count will be 40,000. 40,000. More than the entire population of any of the towns where I grew up.
We’ve promised to send aid. I just hope it’s soon.
Dear gentle reader: this blog has been operating continuously since I was a teenager. The writing below is at least a decade old. In that time every molecule of my body has been replaced, along with many foolish ideas and flighty beliefs. I want to keep some of those things public out of an honesty and humility I owe the world. I trust you to carry that context with you.