Priorities

You hear about people rushing back into burning buildings to save cherished mementos -- wedding photos, family heirlooms, maybe some jewelry -- but a guy in Columbus, Georgia, apparently valued something most people wouldn't worry about. As reported this morning in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

If your family is lucky enough to make it out of a burning home, it’s generally a good idea not to go back inside.

But Walter Serpit said he had no choice. The Columbus, Ga., man made sure all six adults and two children made it outside safely when smoke filled the family’s living room Thursday afternoon. Then, he went back in to get his beer.

Yep, his beer. My first thought was that the guy was an idiot. Granted, he freely admitted that he is an alcoholic so he probably had a stronger desire than most of us to self-medicate while watching his house burn down, but it was Thursday. The liquor stores were open. Now if it had been Sunday in Georgia, that would be a different story.

On the other hand, the story notes that Mr. Serpit grabbed several cans of his favorite beverage. If it comes in a can, it's probably close to qualifying as pure water, so why bother? It's a mystery. . .