A story that needs to be told Staten Island; A borough that is usually synonymous with terms such as, “the forgotten borough,” “Staten Italy,” and a whole bunch of other catch phrases and mostly derogatory names that I won‘t list here. I’ll be honest, I had an extremely low opinion of Staten Island and its’ inhabitants, and I was born and raised here. Hearing people say that they hoped the island sinks with everyone on it, was not uncommon. I’ve said it myself a couple of times, knowing that if it did sink, I’d be on it. That’s how little I thought of S.I. Then Sandy happened.
I am ignorant. I will flat out say I never thought in my entire life the devastation that Sandy caused would ever happen here. When I heard Sandy was coming I really didn’t take it seriously. I downplayed it. I think it’s safe to say that a good portion of Staten Island did not believe Sandy was going to be a big deal. Irene left us unscathed, so this storm would do the same, right? Wrong.
The only word that I can use to describe the few parts of the island that I’ve personally seen is surreal. Boats on people’s lawns, trees laying on top of people’s houses. Cars washed out by floods, all of people’s belongings, now garbage in the street. These are only things I have seen in Steven Spielberg movies. Seeing it is not remotely as bad as the stories I have heard. Rogue waves washing away children, people drowning and getting electrocuted in their basements. The horror of it just doesn’t resonate and you don’t want it to, because it’s happening literally right in your own backyard. Towns you’ve grown up hanging out in or living in, are wiped out. Gone. No one wants to face the reality of that. But it’s in your face, so you have to deal with the grim realization; it happened to you.
Staten Island is no stranger to hell. We’ve been through utter devastation once already before, with 9/11. Our land wasn’t specifically affected, but our people were. It was a tragedy in the greatest sense of the word, where many innocent lives were senselessly lost, but like a phoenix out of its ashes, we came together as a borough, a city, a state, and a country. I was proud to be a New Yorker, and I felt something for humanity: Hope. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always last, and as of late, I had lost all hope for society, with people eating other people‘s faces, mothers drowning their children, sociopaths shooting up movie theaters. A question I was constantly plagued with was, “where is the human aspect of humanity?”
After Sandy hit, Staten Island was in ruins. There was no help, no coverage, no power. Darkness. However, something has to be said about the other side of Sandy. I have seen displays of selflessness and comradery that I really didn’t think was possible in general, never mind coming from people of Staten Island. I am an avid user of Facebook. The posts and inquiries I saw coming from Staten Islanders, looking to help one another flooded my face book page. People were offering their homes, a warm shower, an outlet to charge their phones, literally the clothes off their backs, to others. When we weren’t getting the help we needed, people here did not lay down, helpless. People took it upon themselves to organize and in droves went to the severely devastated areas to help clean up. Individuals flooded shelters and volunteered their time to collect clothes, food, and distributed warm meals to families that were displaced. People took the time to bring and play board games with children in shelters to keep their minds off not having homes to go home to. Neighbors helped neighbors. Strangers helped strangers. Groups of first responders from the island volunteered what extra little free time they have, to form groups to aid those areas that needed it most. I know one personally that took sick days just because they would rather volunteer here. Homes that had generators allowed other homes on their block to be hook up so everyone could share power. Everybody pitched in. We paid it forward. It doesn’t stop there. Restaurants that had power gave out free food, and acted as collection sites for donations. Hair salons gave free hair washes for people that needed. Gyms offered free showers. Individuals offered to organize a Staten Island race to raise money that would directly be used for rebuilding our community. A Staten Island hotel turned away marathoners, because they refused to kick out islanders that lost their homes. Funeral parlors donated free funerals to those who perished. Maybe it’s me, but this is stuff you just don’t see, and this isn’t even the half of it. You won’t see this part of Sandy in the news, or read it in newspapers, but again, something needs to be said for what happens when our spirit in Staten Island is threatened; we tell adversity to shove it, and we take care of our own.
It is said that that, “Character is defined by what you do when nobody is watching, not by what you do when being watched.” Here on Staten Island, there is no money to be earned from helping one another. There is no fame to be sought. People are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. Our 20 mile island has one purpose; rebuild Staten Island. There is much to be said about the love and support we have heard from around the nation, but this isn’t a story about that. It’s a story about a light that was created out of the darkness. I have never been so proud in my life to be from Staten Island, and the love that I have seen radiate out of the people here is something I will never forget. There is another saying on Staten Island; that it’s too small, and everyone knows everyone. Well I think that saying takes on a new meaning and a new context in the wake of Sandy. We may be few, but we are proud, and we are strong. We are Staten Island.
