Dear ArtFriend,
I do get what you're saying in your original post. I've lost count of the number of times I've been in the midst of, or just on the border of, major natural disasters (and man-made, too), especially when I lived in Gippsland - a very large region of mountains, plains, rivers, millions of acres of forests (bush) and farming lands, plus a long ocean coastline with occasional king tides, all prone to both wildfire and floods. Sometimes, such things would happen several times in one year. Everyone living in the midst and in surrounding nearby areas all felt the impacts.
Family calling to see how I was? Sometimes....and sometimes, not. The worst of the latter was during and just after Black Saturday 2009 (massive deadly fires, with many many deaths, over many parts of our State, including my local part of Gippsland, barely a few miles from my town. The home my kids and I had once lived in out of town, years before, was in the midst of the fire ground...).
I'd heard nothing from my kids - who were living in the city 200 miles away - during all this. It was ALL OVER the news that day and then for weeks and months afterward. So I texted or emailed both of them to tell them what was unfolding. Turns out they were sunbaking (in 47C degrees heat!!!) on a city beach, totally oblivious like most in the city. When they finally replied, it was (vivid memory) along the lines of 'God, Mum, you're such a drama queen! You get off on this stuff, don't you?!'............................................ ...........
A few months later, when they were staying one weekend with me, I drove them out to the firegrounds to show them (including our old home,l one of the few still standing). Virtually all our old neighbours' homes had gone completely, and some people had died further up our very road. Even then, my kids - and their mate who came with us, all of them just off 30 y.o., so not clueless teenagers - made it clear they didn't want to see it. 'Too depressing'. They just wanted us to go back home, so they could mess about on Facebook and check their mobiles, eat and drink and watch movies.
Moral of the story? Most people - if not directly affected - don't want to think about it all. They just don't want to face such things. So, yeah, maybe try not to take it so personally. I did, back then especially. Now, not so much.
xx Vic