Joplin Tornado

There are some things in life that will be incredibly hard to describe, not because they are uncomprehendable, but because there is nothing else in the world by which they can be compared. What has been seen in Joplin over the past few days is one of these things. The aftermath of Joplin’s tornado seems like something out of a movie or fantasy, and the only things that compare to it are things that people have only ever seen in their imaginations. The things we thought could never happen have happened.
Yet, through all of this, there is hope. While we may not be able to find an adequate comparison for the destruction created by the tornado, the people of Joplin are a different story. The citizens here have taken on the persona of an ant colony, who, upon having their anthill destroyed by a rainstorm, immediately begins its reconstruction. While Joplin may look like a city torn apart, the people that reside here are a living testament that this city’s vitality is found not in the misfortunes of its people, but in their dedication to one another as a community. It may be true that Joplin is down, but we are far from out. We are one city. We are one spirit. We are Joplin.