I was sitting in the back of Tee Morris’ Social Media class at the San Francisco Writers Conference, waiting for him to finish up so we could fly back to Virginia. I was writing blogposts, catching up on email and keeping one eye on Twitter.
What I was not expecting was to see the word ‘earthquake’ pop up again in relation to Christchurch. In September last year I was in WorldCon in Melbourne when the last quake hit there. And strangely my first thought was, ‘I can’t leave New Zealand’- irrational as it was.
The difference became immediately apparent. As Twitter spilled the news as it happened, and other internet outlets began to report, it was obvious that unlike last year, there would be significant damage and loss of life.
First off I wanted to make sure that friends and family were alright. Wellington, which is also a earthquake hot spot, was not affected at all- so they are all fine. However New Zealand is a small place, with only four million people, we will all know someone hit by this disaster.
Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand, was (and will be again) a beautiful city. I spent a bit of time there, going to conferences, visiting friends, going to weddings. I remember the river Avon, the soaring loveliness of the Cathedral, and riding the tram around the city centre. Seeing the devestation there still really hasn’t sunk in.
Part of me wanted to go home straight away- but as Tee said ‘what would you do?’ So, I will do what I can from here. I have learned social media is a powerful thing, and can raise money in extraordinary ways. I’m working on a few things behind the scenes, but here is my plea to my readers and listeners.
If I have ever given you a moment of enjoyment, then please donate to the Red Cross for the quake victims. Even if it is only a couple of dollars, every little bit helps and adds up. Christchurch has a lot of great people on the ground, but right now what the best thing to give is money.
If you want to see what it is like there right now, have a read here.
My thoughts, love and prayers go to Christchurch. These are strong people, and they are doing all they can to recover. It will however be a long process. Let’s help where we can.