The TCWN staff went to the site of the Kingston ash spill this afternoon to see for ourselves the damage. I have seen dozens of photos- but they do not do justice to the devastation of the area. We were on Swan Pond Circle, looking out onto Swan Pond and then, the Emory River. It is amazing. We’ll post pictures tomorrow.
One thing that I kept thinking about while touring the area was the impact this has had on the neighborhoods. I don’t know if folks knew their neighbors before this, but they do now. We met this lady who was walking around her neighborhood passing out flyers for an upcoming meeting. She was very suspicious of us, and for good reason. Within the last two weeks, she has had dozens of strangers invade her quiet, picturesque neighborhood, media attention from around the world, aircraft hovering overhead. She has had to become a community organizer, whether she wanted to or not. Plus, she has to worry about the health and safety of her family and her home. She never asked for this. No one asked for this.
While I am glad we had a chance to see the ash spill, I can’t help but feel guilty for coming in, taking pictures and leaving- leaving behind all those people whose lives will never be the same. I was glad to see neighbors taking care of neighbors. That’s the East Tennessee way of life.
