Tragedy Doesn't Make Me Any Nicer

Floodwaters in South falling, but misery remains

'There wasn't nothing I could do ... I just had to sit up there on that hill and watch my house get more and more underwater'

I'm guessing that the misery starts with their lack of English teachers.

Discovered a Skill

You know what I can do? I can listen to a person say a single sentence that dances around terrible news that they can't bear to say out loud, and get it. Even more than that - when I get it, I am able to say "OK", in a calm, significant way that lets them know that I understood the actual message, and that they do not need to say anything else out loud, risking their tenuous hold on composure.

Nope, you don't have to say anything else - I get it. Also, I'm sorry. I've had enough bad news of my own that I remember how it feels for you. I'm really, really sorry.