Explosion

Explosion

10s of People Injured or Killed

A new area of concern

I have been mentoring a group for several months, and we communicate via video chat. As you can imagine, our comradery has grown. We ask each other about politics, local events, and the weather. This morning I woke to a new reality.

A tanker truck exploded! I do not know how my group is doing. Our only forms of communication are email and video chat. I have emailed.

I am not naive and believe that nothing bad ever happens. Instead, I avoid those thoughts when it comes to personal contacts. I know this feeling is not isolated only to me. Numerous mentors and teachers share in this precarious reality. We communicate with "strangers" whose lives we are supposed to guard and guide while simultaneously providing appropriate space because these are not our relatives.

Yet, the concern remains. What can I do when injury occurs? Yes, there are objective items such as change dates for projects; complete forms as needed; notify stakeholders; and so forth. But, what about the subjective? The concern. The empathy. The outrage. The empathic responses that separate sentient beings from non-sentient beings.

Well, I must wait. I will see how the story develops and watch my email.

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Update: The group is fine!