there's a hole in my heart

The television is on in the other room and a native New Yorker is lamenting the effect that 9/11 has had on her: "There's a hole in my heart, in my family's heart, and it just can't heal" she's saying.

Man but there's a lot of public grief around at the moment. If you can take a step back it's actually kind of interesting to observe. Of course, if you're directly involved ... hmmm... not so interesting.

Loss is such a complicated thing. It sits on your chest like a heavy, hot hand. Sometimes it's weighed up, compared to the loss of others. Is there such a thing as loss competitiveness?

Here in Australia we've lost a couple of high profile residents recently. The outpouring for the crocodile hunter in particular has been of biblical proportions. My mind can't help travelling - to the knowledge of other dads, brothers, sons and husbands who die every day, not in risky situations but at the hands of others - drunk drivers, mad men, politicians. I mean imagine the families of men (and women) who got on the buses in London to go to work, to earn a crust, to do their bit, who never came home.

Don't listen to me though. I'm the girl whose heart does NOT go out to the rich yachtie types who get stranded in the sea in their high powered sailing competitions every year. I find myself saying, 'Yeah they should bloody well pay for your own rescues, even if it's through entrance fees to the race. Your rescuers risk their lives trying to save you."

If someone makes their living every day of their life by taking out-of-this-world risks, should we really be so shocked when those risks grow teeth and snatch at a loose shirt tail, dragging them down?

Anyway it's not just me. Bruce Shapiro (http://www.thenation.com/directory/bios/bruce_shapiro) was on radio national (Late Night Live repeat http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/) this afternoon. He'd been to New Orleans in the past week or two, said he was surprised by how bitter some of the Katrina survivors were in regards to how much cash and attention was given to those involved in 9/11 (people and buildings) and how, after the passing of 12 months, many of them had not even seen a cent from the government to help them rebuild their lives. Loss competitiveness? I'm not wise enough to say. Human nature? Definitely.

Interesting comment Mr Shapiro made: Those affected by Katrina had received $8 million to date. Apparently that's what one day at war in Iraq costs the United States; a completely different kind of loss hey?