Rita
I wasn't around for the last hurricane. I mean, I was in existence, but I was on vacation. I was in the maritimes having the vacation of my life, and enjoying every second of it.

Was it selfish to not want to turn on the news in the morning?

I had an idea of what was going on, but never the full picture. I didn't understand the panic or exactly how bad it was. Was it wrong that I didn't buy a newspaper everyday?

And then when I got home, I had to deal with my Grandma's death, the start of school, and making sure that Orientation went off without a hitch. I read some articles and knew about the FEMA disaster, but I got the facts, not the feelings.

Now with Rita coming closer and closer to the areas already under stress, I'm starting to understand how scary it is.

Despite living in the middle of Canada, our gas prices are skyrocketing. It's already $1.20 per litre of gas, and it's going to go up. I'm a poor student; I can't afford this.

But even with my worries about my budget, it doesn't even start to compare with what the people of gulf states have to deal with. Being evacuated for the second time in a month -- being displaced again. Seeing what happened to New Orleans and praying that the same thing doesn't happen to them. The mass exodus, the fear and panic in everyone's eyes...

Is worrying about how I'm going to have to transfer buses downtown at night if I have to start taking bus selfish of me right now? What should I be doing instead?

I wasn't around for the first big hurricane this season, and I'm not sure how to react. During Katrina, the big conversation was if the Tragically Hip were going to play one of their most famous songs, "New Orleans is Sinking" at the Rolling Stones concert. (which they didn't)

I'm not quite sure now where I'm supposed to be focusing my energy.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the hurricanes and I hope for their safety.