In the Wake of a Disaster

Quote of the day: “The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.” –Democritus, Greek Philosopher

There’s nothing more sobering than watching the devastation that’s taking place right now in Haiti. It’s awful; so awful. I feel so helpless. There’s just so much destruction and despair. How can the people of Haiti possibly endure it all? How do they begin recover or even rebuild? There’s just so much; so much…

And the truth is, they will endure, recover and rebuild, over time. It’s a testament to the human spirit. Void of race, color, or creed, the human spirit is amazingly capable of enduring such a disaster. How else could they survive sleeping, injured and hungry, on the streets of the make-shift camps? How else could they continue to search and rescue others while they mourn the losses they have already suffered?

They are my brothers and sisters; our brothers and sisters. As they suffer, so do I. As they mourn, so should we.

As our mortality glares at us through the television screen of the on-site news coverage, I can only draw strength from Haitian people. They are my source of inspiration. What value is their life and mine if I don’t respond when death is staring at me in the face? How can we not act as if today is all we have? And with that, how can we not make the best out of today?

It’s easy to physically turn away from the devastation. I can put down the newspaper, or turn off the TV, which I have done a number of times already. But who am I fooling. It’s there for them, and it’s there for me.

Perspective is always a funny thing when it’s at the expense of another. It always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. The loss of so many lives in an instant seems to magnify the actuality of life itself, including mine. I sit here in what appears to be a “comfortable” setting, where I am in no immediate physical threat. I have shelter, food and clean water. I have clothes, a car…a list of material possessions. And as I sit here, I suffer over the dissatisfaction with my work life. Are you kidding me?

It’s not that my feelings within my own life aren’t real, or of value. They are. But my goodness, if the Haitians are capable of sifting through rubble to find live or dead bodies, I can definitely sift through the emotional dissatisfaction within myself to find the courage to live life how I see fit.

May we all do something today to help the Haitian people, and help ourselves.