Generosity, Kindness, and Resourcefulness during Camp Fire Disaster

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Generosity, Kindness, and Resourcefulness during Camp Fire Disaster
Introduction
Disasters and crises can strike at any moment catching people off-guard. How individuals behave in such situations can have massive implications on the outcome of the disaster. In many cases, individuals tend to display an astounding amount of bravery, kindness, and resourcefulness that helps reduce the detriments of a disaster. The essay “The Extraordinary Achievements of Ordinary People” by Rebecca Solnit shares the perspective that people do not behave as shown in films during disasters. Rather, ordinary people tend to show extraordinary resourcefulness, generosity, and kindness. According to Solnit, grace and dignity are often displayed by people in these situations (120). In her perspective, things could usually be different had people not behaved the way they did or had the media and the government not created stereotypes that cowed people into fear and agony. These deeds are seen as diminishing the will of the ordinary people to become heroes by helping and remaining in solidarity with others. Solnit even argued that governments like it this way since it justifies the government's existence as the solution to problems as opposed to the collaboration with the powerful and brave citizens.
The story of California’s deadliest blaze was told by Jon Mooallem in the New York Times Magazine and describes how people learned of the disaster and how each of them responded differently. For the most part, the tale seems to revolve around Tamra Fisher and is told from her experiences. The challenges she was experiencing in her personal life may have shaped what she went through, how she learned of the incident, and the people she encountered in her escape attempt. She had a sister, Cindy, who was already stuck in traffic in her own escape. The entire city became engulfed in the blaze where nine out of every ten homes went ablaze and an estimated 85 people died (Mooallem 3). Fisher’s car also caught fire and she got into a contractor’s truck, coincidentally name Larry, as the brother whose ashes she had lost in her burning car. In this essay, it is argued that there were individuals who showed acts of generosity, kindness, and resourcefulness, but the levels displayed do not match the expectations of the perspectives in Solnit’s essay.
Evidence of Generosity, Resourcefulness, and Kindness
From the story, it can be learned that Paradise is an area prone to fire disasters. Therefore, preparedness is not only a matter of the government priority but also in the best interests of the residents to be ready at all times. One of the ways in which the residents prepare is by keeping a "go bag" containing medication, water, and important documents (Mooallem 2). This is evidence of resourcefulness considering that government evacuation plans may not be sufficient to cater to the needs of the entire town. This resourcefulness is also shared among the members, which can be used as evidence of kindness. The volunteer worker dubbed “Bag Lady” displays her generosity towards the town by offering lessons on how to pack a “go bag.” Such actions are what have bee...