'Cheese wasn't important and neither were cell phones'

“In the predawn hours of Sunday, August 27, I decided that I would peek outside. The torrential rains from Harvey had been pounding for several hours. Supposedly my house is not in the floodplain, but I poked my head out to see water halfway between the street and my front door. An hour later it was three-fourths of the way up. I woke up my wife and began ‘water watch.’ In case we needed to evacuate with our son, my wife’s mother and two beagles. It wasn’t long after that I saw my cousin post on Facebook that their house had just flooded. The water came about 3 feet from my front door before the rain slacked enough for it to recede.

“In the days following Harvey, I complained once that my cell service was not working. (In fairness, I do have two medical devices linked to my phone that are a necessity and not a convenience.) I got a huge wake-up call about my selfish attitude. The same day I was feeling frustrated about my phone, I encountered a woman in Jack in the Box ranting and screaming at the manager about the amount of cheese (or lack thereof) on her potato wedges. I was grateful that JITB was open, even with a limited menu. The lady throwing a fit put it quickly into perspective. Cheese wasn’t important and neither were cell phones amidst the destruction in Baytown. I asked God to forgive me for my selfish attitude.

“Seeing my hometown ravaged became heartbreaking. I decided to volunteer my time at our church (Rollingbrook Fellowship, First Baptist) in the relief effort. I found it at least a small way I could help. I reflect to that Sunday morning as the water was encroaching on my front door and now know that ‘too close for comfort’ is certainly ‘far enough away.’ At church on Sunday, I thanked God for the fact the water stopped short of my front door and prayed (and continue to do so) for those who lost their homes.” 

— James Kingsmill 

Hurricane Harvey is having a major impact on the lives of people in Baytown and surrounding communities. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences related to this historic weather event, send us a message on our Facebook or Instagram pages or email baytownproject@gmail.com.