Former Iolan Jim Blakely checked in with his cousin, Kathy Lynch of Iola, to report his weathering Hurricane Harvey from his home outside of Houston.
Blakely graduated from Iola High School in 1965, retiring in 2005 from a career as a pilot. He now sells corporate jets.
Blakely reports, “Yes, it did hit my area with a vengeance, but I find it amazing that the atmosphere can lift that much weight up so high into the air and move it so far and carry it for long and wreak so much havoc and yet bring so many people together. … Believe it or not, there is more love here than water.
“The most incredible thing it did was bring out the best of people. The people that stayed behind and helped their neighbors and those that came out of their dry, comfortable homes to help in any way they could was beyond anything I have ever seen in my entire life. No one cared about race, color, creed, religion, tax brackets, political party, age, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else that is currently dividing this nation.
“I have said that for the last eight-10 years the only thing that might pull this country together was a tragedy. While this one won’t fix the rest of the U.S., it certainly brought out the best of Texas and her closest friends.
“My house and car and everything in my house is gone under 3 feet of water. I have a shaving kit, laptop, briefcase, one pair of golf shorts, two pairs of socks, two T-shirts, one pair of tennis shoes, a ball cap and yet I am the luckiest man in the world. I thought for a bit that I had lost everything but I didn’t. I found out that I have more family and friends than I realized. I wouldn’t trade the feelings I have now for all the stuff I lost. I was honestly looking for a way to organize and get rid of half that stuff anyway. Just happened sooner than I thought. Now my kids don’t have to ask me what I want for Christmas. Plus, if I move, I can do it in a small Uber.
“My plan going forward is to find a rental car and a place to live closer to the house so I can start tearing out and rebuilding when the water recedes. I can work pretty much anywhere I have electricity and cell phone coverage.
“I’m also going to try to help someone that needs more than I do and count my blessings and come back a better person than before.”
Jim Blakely,
Cinco Rancho, Texas
