Like most of the world, I watched the humanity unfold after the third major earthquake and tsunami disaster in the last ten years. The before and after photos of the area are sobering, to say the least. This event was truly a reminder of the fragility of humanity on our planet.
During disaster events, I am more interested in the stories of survival, courage, and overcoming odds than I am in the stories of despair and loss. My favorite stories included the dog that would not leave the side of its injured companion; the fisherman who captained his small boat out to sea and climbed six different ninety-foot waves, determined to beat the tsunami or die trying; the biologist who saved the finless dolphin stranded in a rice patty; the grocer who gave away everything on his shelves so people would have food and clean water; the high school students who formed a bucket line from the school’s pool to the local shelter so people had water with which to clean themselves; and the nuclear plant workers risking their lives so they can save their community. To me, these will be my memories of the Japanese Tsunami: strength and compassion amidst diversity.
As I continued to watch the events unfold, as people grew increasingly concerned over the stability of the nuclear power plant, there was an odd nagging in the back of my mind that something was missing. I recalled the images of the time Katrina caused devastation in New Orleans. I remembered people standing in the streets, asking “where is our government”, complaining about the inadequacy of the levees and how it must be criminal or a conspiracy.
Then it hit me. I realized what was missing from the Japanese crises. Where was the looting? Where were the people demanding restitution from a government who had failed to protect them from Mother Nature? Where were the calls for politicians to resign because they did not have a sea wall capable of fending off six, ninety-foot walls of water traveling at five-hundred miles per hour? Where were the stories of Japanese people focusing on their needs, and only their needs – something psychologist and anthropologist and sociologists always tell us is the natural behavior when survival instincts kick in? Why was no one blaming Global Warming?
It wasn’t there. It isn’t happening.
Instead, we have a fishing boat captain who braved the waves only to return to his island and provide free passage on his ship for anyone needing to get to the mainland. We have nuclear plant workers who intentionally expose themselves to deadly levels of radiation to save their community. We have expats from Tokyo funding and leading caravans of basic supplies in a show of solidarity for their adopted country. We have an region of people putting community before self at a time when personal needs are not satisfied.
Simply remarkable. More than that, it is a lesson for Americans who value individualism, award TV shows that stroke the egos of divas, and continue to award entitlements (corporate and individual) at a time when our national debt is spiraling out of control. We care more about what we feel is “owed” to “me”, than we do about is needed by “us”.
More than anything else, that is the lesson I take away from this disaster. What about you?
During disaster events, I am more interested in the stories of survival, courage, and overcoming odds than I am in the stories of despair and loss. My favorite stories included the dog that would not leave the side of its injured companion; the fisherman who captained his small boat out to sea and climbed six different ninety-foot waves, determined to beat the tsunami or die trying; the biologist who saved the finless dolphin stranded in a rice patty; the grocer who gave away everything on his shelves so people would have food and clean water; the high school students who formed a bucket line from the school’s pool to the local shelter so people had water with which to clean themselves; and the nuclear plant workers risking their lives so they can save their community. To me, these will be my memories of the Japanese Tsunami: strength and compassion amidst diversity.
As I continued to watch the events unfold, as people grew increasingly concerned over the stability of the nuclear power plant, there was an odd nagging in the back of my mind that something was missing. I recalled the images of the time Katrina caused devastation in New Orleans. I remembered people standing in the streets, asking “where is our government”, complaining about the inadequacy of the levees and how it must be criminal or a conspiracy.
Then it hit me. I realized what was missing from the Japanese crises. Where was the looting? Where were the people demanding restitution from a government who had failed to protect them from Mother Nature? Where were the calls for politicians to resign because they did not have a sea wall capable of fending off six, ninety-foot walls of water traveling at five-hundred miles per hour? Where were the stories of Japanese people focusing on their needs, and only their needs – something psychologist and anthropologist and sociologists always tell us is the natural behavior when survival instincts kick in? Why was no one blaming Global Warming?
It wasn’t there. It isn’t happening.
Instead, we have a fishing boat captain who braved the waves only to return to his island and provide free passage on his ship for anyone needing to get to the mainland. We have nuclear plant workers who intentionally expose themselves to deadly levels of radiation to save their community. We have expats from Tokyo funding and leading caravans of basic supplies in a show of solidarity for their adopted country. We have an region of people putting community before self at a time when personal needs are not satisfied.
Simply remarkable. More than that, it is a lesson for Americans who value individualism, award TV shows that stroke the egos of divas, and continue to award entitlements (corporate and individual) at a time when our national debt is spiraling out of control. We care more about what we feel is “owed” to “me”, than we do about is needed by “us”.
More than anything else, that is the lesson I take away from this disaster. What about you?
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