The thing about something like Hurricane Katrina is that it affects every aspect of life in that region, and consequently, many aspects of life outside that region. After all of the horror, the loss of life, and the injustices, I find myself suddenly shocked and baffled whenever any of the practical ramifications strike me. Because while we focus right now on getting these people to safety, soon the focus will turn to the cleanup and restoration. That's when things become less passionate and more surreal.

So. What about the mail? Right now, I don't exactly know what is happening to the mail that people (for whatever reason) are still sending to the affected area. We have a special rack set up for those parcels, and they get shipped ... somewhere. Somewhere I imagine there is a huge warehouse filling with stuff from all over the country. Someone soon will have to figure out where all of these people have gone, if they are even alive, and how to get them their mail. Officially, the USPS is asking all the displaced people to file change-of-address cards. I used to work in the forwarding department, and I can begin to imagine the kind of fiasco this is going to be for someone.

Then there's the mail that's already down there in the underwater postal facilities. After everything has been pumped dry, someone is going to have to go through that stuff, because you can't just throw the mail away even if it is dripping with putrid slop. Well, maybe you can in a situation like this. But the situation will have to be assessed, and someone -- someone like me -- will have to do the grunt work, whatever that may be.

How many other things will have to be addressed that you don't even think about? When life is reduced to its basic elements -- food, water, shelter, protection -- all of these other mundane parts of everyday life suddenly become bizarre. It kind of makes you wonder why we do all of this stuff.