A Pine Barren Country
John sits on the back porch of the house where he and his
Aunt have taken refuge since Hurricane Sandy. It sits on the edge of the Pine
Barrens, a large wilderness in South Jersey.
It is the birthplace of America’s first monster: the Jersey Devil. But
as he stares into the woods…it seems like the real devil is what the mind can
create: a Godless life.
All the horrors of Sandy. The 80 year old couple from Staten
Island. They decided to stay in their home of 50 years. In minutes, the ocean
came in and they were fighting for their lives-up to their necks in black
water. They floated out of a window and clung to a car. They lost
everything-except each other. A father powers up a tool to cut some boards to
keep the water out. His teenaged daughters see him cut his finger off as the
power goes out. They hunt in the darkness and find rags to wrap around his
finger. They live…but they aren’t the same. The endless financial ruin…from regular
people losing expensive appliances to yachts and pleasure craft and homes of
all sizes piled on the bay shore. On TV
and the Internet-the endless buying and selling and bragging and grabbing. It
could all make you think of America as a heartless, Godless place.
That’s like looking into the Pine Barrens…deeper and deeper-
until all you see is shadows. Move deeper, past the creek. Was that the snap of a twig behind you...someone falling? Ahead, is that a fallen tree? Or is it a man, lying in
wait for you. It’s not a silly thought. There was or is a serial killer out
there. He killed women near the edge of the Pine Barrens in Atlantic City and
then on Long Island. Look long enough into these ancient woods and the branches
and shadows take on the shape of horns and claws. What do you see?
John sees deer that look like babies even as adults. And
chip monks that should be afraid of him…but sit right near him like they know
he loves animals. And with Sandy, there was an outpouring of Godless horror.
But there was also an outpouring of everything good in people. From people just
showing up with food to celebrities holding major fund-raising events. And people will rebuild. Do we worship buildings? Love things? Really lose memories? Aren't memories about people?
Sandy showed John a Pine Barren Country-it depends on how he
looks at it.
