The "Storms May Come And Go...But We Are Here To Stay!" Story

One of my favorite photos I have taken in the Caribbean.  This
photograph was taken on Shoal Bay East on the island of Anguilla,
an island within eyesight of St. Martin. Click on it to enlarge.

It was an ordinary day.  Posting one more story about the Caribbean and the damage that has been the result of Hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria.  Carol and I are still not sure what we should do in the spring of next year which is the time of the year that we have made a habit of traveling to the Caribbean for a few weeks.  Will they be ready for us to visit?  Will we be disappointed due to all the damage?  Well, after reading a story a few days ago, we have decided that it is our obligation to visit and provide our financial support to help those living in the Caribbean get their life back to normal once again.  The story that influenced us went like this:

Serene scene from Happy Bay, St. Martin.

On October 9, 1780, the Great Hurricane came to the Caribbean.  Huracan San Calixto lasted 11 days in the West Indies, pummeling the southeastern Caribbean with terrifying winds as high as 200 miles per hour, destroying homes and livelihoods.  Almost 22,000 people died across the West Indies.  This terrible tempest remains the deadliest recorded hurricane in the history of the Western Hemsiphere.  Everything was washed away. Or so it seemed.  But, all of these islands are still here. And, they aren't going anywhere.  Because that's the thing about Caribbean people; they cannot be defeated.  They rebuild, they restore and they live again.  It is the cost of the region's unimaginable natural beauty that, by the caprice of fate, there is the periodic risk of ruin, an intermittent reminder of the supremacy of Mother Nature.  But after each storm, after each tragedy, the Caribbean waves its finger at Mother Nature; "storms may come and go but we are here to stay."

Off to the Caribbean!  This photograph, one of my favorite
photos I have taken in the Caribbean, is from Barbados.

I have said enough in this blog about the past storms.  What needs to be done is this: The Caribbean will rebuild.  It will not be easy, it may not be quick, but it will happen.  So what should we do as someone who loves the Caribbean?  Making a donation to help with the rebuilding would help, but the biggest thing we can do for the livelihood of the entire region recently struck by the storms is to keep going back because tourism remains the life blood of the Caribbean and without you and I returning to the Caribbean, the pocketbooks of the people will not grow.  So head back when you can, since it isn't going anywhere soon!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.