*Disclaimer: 100% of any proceeds that I might earn from this post will be donated to the fires. You have to be a real jazz nerd to be here, so I doubt I will earn anything, but if I do, it will all go to fire disaster relief efforts. *
If you are like me, in relation to the the fires in Los Angeles, you might feel some or any of the following:
- Sadness
- Helplessness
- Powerlessness
- Numbing
- Incredulous
- Empathy
- Disbelief
- Apathy
- Anger
- Hopeful
You also might notice you have some feelings that I didn’t list, and if so, let me know below. Any feeling you have or don’t have about the fires in LA are OK. It’s just important to take time to process your feelings, figure out how to tend to them, and then think about what you can do to help (more on that below). For me, I have been thinking about the souls of the people who died in the fires. I prayed for them. I’ve thought about the many families who lost their homes in the fires-every material possession they had. I wondered about what they must be feeling-the shock and the subsequent grief that will inevitably follow.
Reading more about fires, I found myself thinking about all of the firefighters, and praying for their well being, wondering what it is like for them out on the front lines, as they risk their lives. I said prayers for them, thinking about a group of firefighters I met while on vacation this summer while on vacation near Tahoe. These men and women leave their families for weeks at a time to go out on the front lines for our state. Some of the are incarcerated individuals, now working so hard and risking their lives to save the state. Mogul/Actress/Social Justice Advocate Kim Kardashian boldly and dynamically used her platform of over 350 million Instagram followers to draw attention to advocating for better pay for these inmate firefighters, a bright spot to see amidst this devastation.
I also wondered about the what this catastrophe must be like for the politicians-LA Mayor Karen Crowley, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, LA, CA Governor Newsom, and the enormous stress they must be under. As a psychotherapist who has seen clients in leadership positions in my therapy practice, I have heard first-hand how much leaders are responsible for . As I read and learned more, I felt frustrated and angry that Billionaire bullies Elon Musk and Bill Ackman made bogus claims that DEI initiatives were to blame for the fires in Los Angeles. They found an easy target, erroneously blaming LA Fire Chief Karen Crowley (the first female and openly gay fire chief in the history of LA,) for focusing on DEI work over prioritizing fighting fires. FOX news blamed LA Mayor Karen Bass, the city’s first female and second black Mayor in the history of LA for cutting the LAFD budget by 17%, when it was actually around 3%.
“Blaming women-and minority women in positions of power-is a new name for old bullsh*t. And we ain’t buyin’ it.”
From a psychological perspective, people blame in a situation when the feel powerless. This fire destroyed “40,000 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and caused at least 24 deaths.” I have empathy for feeling powerless. However, blame is never helpful, and it is abhorrent when made using false claims to malign others. Investigating what contributed to the fires and what has made it harder to fight them is worth merit. Put your energy towards tending to your feelings, focusing on what will help, and what will make you feel better.
So what can we do?
–Meditate and Pray for the Cause at hand. I created this meditation for
-DONATE! NBC News has a list of vetted charities you can make financial contributions to here
–Take care of your emotions. Observe your feelings and feel them, without judgement.
–Listen to JAZZ! This always helps me. In honor of Los Angeles, here are 3 tunes, all recorded in Los Angeles, the diverse, vibrant city of dreamers, creators, doer’s.
1. “There is No Greater Love,” Dinah Jams, Dinah Washington with Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Live in Los Angeles, 1954. This song reminds of me of the deep love that Angeleno’s have for their City, and I intend it as a love letter for Los Angele. Category: Emotional Elevation
2. “Darn that Dream,” Stan Getz and Chet Baker, Live at The Tiffany Club, Los Angeles, 1954. This is a song about lost dreams, for the City of Angels, full of dreamers. Category: Emotional Dwelling
3. “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” Ella at the Hollywood Bowl, recorded live in Los Angeles, 1958. This song reminds me of what it will take to recover after the fires-for all those who lost their homes and or loved ones. Grief is a part of recovery. The people of LA are resilient and will recover-and here is Ella giving them a boost to do so. Category: Emotional Dwelling
May Jazz Therapy Soothe Your Soul. Thank you for being here.