The past couple of weeks has been traumatic for many people. Overseas there is war and locally we have endured yet another flood; all this is on the heels of two years in a pandemic and some of the worst bushfires Australia has experienced. Understandably, all these events can be overwhelming. Media continually shows the worst tragedies, while our news feeds are flooded with cynical stories and comments.

Disaster Studies is a field of research that emerged after WW2. In the decades since, researchers have conducted field studies on the impact of disasters on societies. The results are surprising. While short term effects include anxiety, shock and anger, the long-term effects have consistently been post-traumatic growth, resilience, increased altruism, and engagement with the community.

Disaster can bring out the worst in people. We hear reports of looting and panic buying. But the worst is more the exception than the rule. Time and again, individuals and communities come together in small gestures of compassion and connection that show who they are, how they want to live and what matters to them. The ‘mud army’ rises out of Queensland floodwaters whenever needed. Our courageous SES volunteers put themselves in the most dangerous situations- whether fire or flood- to ensure others stay safe.

I was heartened to watch media covering the Ukraine/Poland border where volunteers in their hundreds were providing meals, clothing, toiletries and transport to Ukrainians fleeing the war zone. Many held up destination signs. A young man from Berlin was interviewed. He makes the 20-hour round trip to the border every day he doesn’t work- taking up to four refugees back with him. “I cannot join the war, but I can offer this small act”, he said.

These impromptu, spontaneous, bottom-up responses demonstrate that in moments of darkness, there are countless moments of light. Charles Fritz, regarded as a giant of modern disaster studies, says, “The merging of individual and societal needs during a disaster, provides a feeling of belonging and a sense of unity rarely achieved under normal circumstances.” Seven hundred studies on natural disasters confirm this same result. The vast majority of people stay calm and help each other. “Whatever the extent of the looting,” one sociologist notes, “it always pales in significance to the widespread altruism that leads to free and massive giving and sharing of goods and services.”

When listening to media or reading news feeds, keep in mind that you only hear part of the story. There is a back story of unsung heroes, ordinary people doing extraordinary things, coming to the aid of strangers. Those in desperate need have their faith in humanity rekindled. Their actions serve as a reminder that even though the world is large, one person can still make a world of difference. Let troubled times bring out the best in you.

Linda Gray
 linda@relationshipsanctuary.com.au
 0401 517 243