My cousin is currently an active Marine, stationed in Japan. When I first heard the news about the earthquake, I was in the gym and the small TV screen in the corner of the room caught my eye. It was the headlining and first reports of the quake.
Since Iain, my cousin, has no direct contact to US I immediately logged on to facebook to see if he was okay, considering that he lives in Sendai, only about 50 miles from the worst. Thank goodness, he and his base were unharmed besides some equipment damage due to flooding.
When I was finally able to talk to him on the phone, he told me that he watched the waves roll in from the top building rooftop. He told me that his first thought was remember the movie "The Day After Tomorrow," and it didn't seem real. After he got it together, all he could think about was how many people were down on ground level, and whether he would be sent as a "rescue"(a search team) or "collect" (a team that takes care of handling the found bodies).
The last news feed I remember hearing about the disaster was a death toll of over 12 thousand people, with 10 thousand still missing. It is a terrifying thought how quickly something can take life away in such great numbers. We always think, "it couldn't happen to me," when in reality I think we all have an equal disadvantage.
It’s important to never underestimate the power of mother nature. Naturally occurring catastrophes, like Hurricane Katrina and the recent earthquake/tsunami in Japan, serve as painful reminders.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last comment – that many people, myself included, often think “well, that could never happen to me.” But natural, uncontrollable disasters happen every day. I think that these events ultimately humble us, and remind us to count our blessings.
PS, I’m glad your cousin is OK :)
This tragedy in Japan is just heartbreaking. I still read articles daily about how thousands of people are missing. I can't imagine the fear and overwhelming pain that must come from such a country wide tragedy. People's entire lives, including possessions that represent lives, were lost. I'm very happy your cousin was fine. Molly is right, the power of mother nature is sometimes forgotten, but her wrath can be brutal. I am really proud of our nation as we are able to come together and show our support to these people in need.
ReplyDeleteI'm also posting a link to the American Red Cross website where people can gain information regarding relief efforts.
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=7c521079115ce210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD
My heart goes out to Japan, and all that there having to face now after the earthquake/ and tsunami. The devastation of any natural disaster can be detrimental to every aspect in their way of life. I know there are several amazing ways to donate, and help. However, I feel as though people assume that Japan with their thriving economy will survive and be just fine. I feel this way simply because I do not think they are getting the same attention that the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami received. It has already been a couple of weeks, and it almost in my opinion seems abandoned with media coverage and etc. I think it’s always important to remember to live each day to the fullest, because sometimes life has something different in store for us than what we are expecting.
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