How a city was transformed

You would expect this city would be a depressing place to visit. But the reverse is true. Rebuilding and new building and new enterprises are everywhere. People are energised and cheerful. Adversity has changed people’s attitude to material things. Your property was always the most important thing to a Christchurch person, a way of demonstrating how successful you were. Overnight, properties were buckled and wrecked, and people found themselves living in third world conditions.  They looked at the wreckage and saw their loved ones were safe. They walked away from the wrecks of their homes, the ruin of their property dreams, and woke up to what matters.

I wouldn’t wish such devastation on any city, but I sometimes think that a little adversity might shake up our values. People in St Albans and Harpenden are prosperous and aspirational. They like to get ahead and want their families to get ahead in the life’s race. This comes at a price. In the race to succeed we lose sight of the runners.

In this ruined city, people were forced to stop and look at each other, to help and nurture each other, rather than compete.  And now, rebuilding, it’s a better place to be. 

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