As you have heard, Hurricane Sandy swept through my hometown this past Monday night.

My family and I live in the highest point of Manhattan, a neighborhood called Washington Heights. We survived relatively unscathed. There was no flooding here. Despite being right on the river, we are hundreds of feet above it, our buildings built quite literally on rock cliffs.

We suffered plenty of damage, however. Trees hundreds of years old were simply pulled up by the roots, falling across streets, pathways and crushing cars.

Our beloved Fort Tryon Park is a littered mess. Massive trees were ripped out of the ground and tossed aside. A huge, commemorative flag pole was yanked out of its cement deck and crashed 100 feet down into the road below. Many of my hard working neighbors are suddenly without work, because their places of employment are wiped out.

Of course, our thoughts go out mainly to those that lost loved ones. Can’t imagine waking up and having someone I love suddenly gone for good, killed by a tree, a power line or swept away by flood waters. Heartbreaking.

I have to admit despite my years of animating Tornadoes, Tsunamis and Hurricanes Sandy has shown me in a more personal way that Nature is a force we can’t control or comprehend.

The Nature of Human Nature

Say what you want about New York, I can tell you one thing. This is just one huge “neighborhood.” Up here, we’re collecting canned goods, batteries and other supplies and driving them downtown into the neighborhoods that were hit the hardest and are still without power. Folks are hosting friends in their homes indefinitely. A high school nearby has just opened as a shelter and is being flooded with generous donations, rather than water.

A friend of mine helps run a homeless shelter downtown. His name is Joe Little, but he has a huge heart. The NYC Rescue Mission helps rehabilitate the homeless, assisting them as they transition back into homes and jobs-life.

Post Sandy, they are running at more than double their capacity, having lost power on the night of the storm. They have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks. If you are still looking for a way to help, this would be an excellent place to do so.

I may have underestimated the wind, but my assessment of New Yorkers was spot on. We’re nothing, if not resilient. We have to be. This is just not the place to live if you can’t weather hardship, or struggle of face unique challenges. When the winds of change blow, we adapt, pitch in, work harder, come up with new solutions.

At the risk of sounding like a cliche, especially this close to the election, it’s the American way. It’s certainly the New York way. I’d like to think it’s TMBA’s way of doing things, too.

In the midst of threats of power losses just a few blocks away, I did manage to catch a ride downtown post Sandy, get things up and running, and complete a very tough assignment this week.

May you weather whatever storms you face this week with resilience, renewed optimism and creativity. And if you’re current project requires fantastic 3d graphics, we’re open for business, ready to give you the very best, come what may.

And, more importantly, if you book a job with TMBA in the 30 days for 3d animation or motion graphics, we’ll donate a portion of the proceeds to the Sandy Recovery program of your choice.

My neighbors could use some help.

Be Well,
Tim