They say that truth is the first casualty of war.
It may be that imagination is one of the first casualties in natural disasters. What is it like to have your world turned upside down by cataclysm like the December 26 tsunami?
Humans are remarkable in their resiliency and stories of inspiration have come from the post-tsunami efforts. Even so, the onset of shock after trauma can dull the capacity to envision and deaden the hope of those who survive.
Remarkably, disaster such as the recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean basin can also immobilize the imagination of others at a distance – those who may have the resources to provide assistance.
Few of us are disaster relief specialists of even business people with a direct connection to the region and thus an influence on its reconstruction. But I was exercising my imagination -- in a kind of first aid response to keep from being overcome by the immensity of the devastation -- and thought of these actions for those of us with disabilities who have the leisure to travel: