By now, you’ve heard about the devastating fire on West Union Street that occurred Sunday. In times like this, you really learn what’s important in life and how imminent it is to not take anything for granted.
By now, you’ve heard about the devastating fire on West Union Street that occurred Sunday that permanently displaced 17 Ohio University students and temporarily displaced 23 others, injured some students and firefighters, and devastated several local businesses such as The Union Bar & Grill and Kismet. It’s really heart wrenching to see a tragedy like this happen in our community, and I personally know someone who was affected and lost everything in their apartment.
In times like this, you really learn what’s important in life and how imminent it is to not take anything for granted.
Here’s what you can take away from this devastating fire:
Material Possessions Are Not Important: Despite how much time, energy and effort we put into acquiring things, they actually have little value when it comes down to it. When it’s all said and done, what we really care about is our relationships with other people, our values, our passions, our hobbies and our involvements. Yes, we all need things like clothing, food and shelter to survive, but most things can be replaced — the content of our lives cannot.
Giving Is Something We Should Do More Often: There has been an incredible amount of outreach and support from the university and the greater Athens community in the wake of this tragedy. Within hours, there were piles of donations for those affected in Baker — donations like Wal-Mart gift cards and linen sets provided by the university and thousands of dollars raised for the business owners and employees affected on GoFundMe. Let this serve as a reminder that being charitable is also important and crucial for personal growth and connection to one’s community.
Be Grateful For Each Day And Remember Tomorrow Is Not A Guarantee: Situations like this remind us that each and every day is precious and something we should never take for granted. Nothing is promised in life. After this fire happened, I know I’m a lot more grateful for my life and everyone in it.
lf You Fail To Plan, You Plan To Fail: There was an article in The Post about how students with renters insurance would have been reimbursed for all of their lost possessions. This is not a normal thing to be on a college student’s radar and can seem like a waste of money. But imagine if you’re home caught fire — it would feel good to know you could get back on your feet. Beyond this, having an emergency plan or course of action in case of an emergency is a great idea.
Erin Fischer is a senior studying women’s and gender studies. What have you learned from the fire? Email her at ef102312@ohio.edu
