Deja Andrew

So beastly Hurricane Dorian finally left the Bahamas, after sitting over them like a science fiction movie, for days. Looking at the pictures from Grand Bahama brought back chilling memories for me: GB looks like South Dade did in 1992.

The "good news" with Andrew 27 years ago is that is wrecked my area and south, instead of hitting Downtown Miami and its far greater population and commerce. Likewise, Nassau, far more critical to the Bahamas, seems to have been spared.

But when your house is mistroyed, as D1 said -- that's all you know.

There are a lot of folks here helping already. Pinecrest, my village, is collecting supplies to fly over. Chabad of Brickell and Aventura is doing the same, as is the richest temple around, Beth Am. I got a laugh last night -- a judge who is a FaceBook friend, and member of Beth Am, said his congregation is "doing what they do best --helping those in need." Well, when I think of Beth Am, I think of women trying to outdo each other buying high fashion for the high holidays -- but I guess grateful Bahamians will welcome any aid. They don't need my snark.

Wifey and I will of course contribute -- probably some money through Chabad, and supplies through Pinecrest.  We've always dug the Bahamas and their people -- many visits over the years for pleasure and business -- and Miami was originally settled by Bahamians.

My old boss Ed, a world class fisherman, took me to places like Chubb Key and Marsh Harbor in search of gamefish, and I still treasure the memories those trips created.

Charity is a funny thing. Some folks are naturally charitable -- others prefer to judge the benevolence of others.  FaceBook has a bunch of folks posting that the cruise lines SHOULD help the Bahamas, since they derive so much profit from having their ships stop there.

That struck me as the height of chutzpah. How about you worry about what YOU do before you direct others to help? In fact, RCL and Carnival were on social media indeed pledging a lot of support for the victims of the storm. But I still have a problem with the philanthropic judges...

So I'm just grateful that Dorian left us alone. Well, mostly. Indeed a stray wind gust knocked down a tree in our backyard. It was actually a 25 foot branch that was growing out of a mostly dead root -- probably since Irma, two years ago. Other than that -- no effects, thankfully.

And -- NYC is out of the cone of death, as I call it. D2 and Jonathan are spending their last week in Greenwich Village, and I am thrilled it won't be consumed with the tensosity of storm vigil. They can concentrate on giving away their furniture and furnishings, and packing, and buying one way tickets!

So Adios, Dorian. Please fizzle out in the North Atlantic. And the Bahamas will rebuild. We did, in South Dade, though it took a long time.

As Joey said to me last night, when I mentioned that the first two years of his marriage were eventful, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."  Indeed.