Attention Collection


“The spectrum of loss is so broad.”

This week, I interviewed the leader of a community organization that had to evacuate and respond in the face of one of Canada’s most serious wildfires from the last few years. It was a topical moment, to say the least.

The conversation was mainly about business - how the organization adapted its role and communications during and after the fire, and there were some heartwarming stories of mutual aid between orgs. (See also: A Paradise Built in Hell, by Rebecca Solnit)

But that quote about the spectrum of loss has stuck with me. One of the main lessons from this person’s experience was to remove assumptions about what individuals are capable of doing in the days following a crisis. Disasters impact people in endless ways, from “We all breathe the same air,” to “My landlord’s house burned down, and now I’ve been evicted.” We can prepare for emergencies, but I think it’s impossible to predict the physical and emotional toll it will take on you, members of a team, or people you know.

Just wanted to share something I learned this week.

(I’m anonymizing this because we haven’t yet published the story.)