What is truly important? That is a question we all have to deal with at some point or points in our lives. Over these past several weeks, more than a few folks in this part of the country have confronted it. In the face of the oncoming fury of one hurricane after another, evacuations from coastal communities, decisions come. On TV the other night, there was an interview with a husband and wife who moved to their new retirement home on one of the Carolina barrier islands just six weeks ago - in that six weeks, they have been ordered to evacuate twice. Their new home has been badly damaged. Now what? The question comes for them, "What is truly important?"

What sparked this line of thinking for me was an odd juxtaposition in the paper this past Monday. On the front page were several articles…