ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 2011 EDITION OF COASTAL VIEWS MAGAZINE, SA.
It seems that every time I sit down to write a column, that the world has been beset again with a disaster or tragedy of vast scale. From Tunisian uprising, Egypt and Libya, through to the floods of Queensland and the earthquakes of Christchurch. I want to write something positive, you see, to uplift and inspire. Something flippant and witty to evoke casual chuckling and mirth. But it’s hard to get in that frame of mind when half of Japan is being washed away on the news channel and people are being shot at their homes in the papers.
I like to think of the glass as being half full, but it is difficult to do when so many around us are without a glass to begin with.
But does that mean I should just give up and accept that the world is a writhing, seething entity, in a constant state of flux, where everything can be fantastic and wonderful one minute and in the next, it turns on it’s inhabitants, wreaking death and destruction at will?
I should definitely accept it but we can’t just give up and stick our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. However, that is not to say we have to light candles and conduct vigils or offer virgins as sacrifices, no, but we really should try to be aware. And in being aware of what happens in this great big world of ours, we can try to keep life in perspective.
Don’t worry, I am not at my laptop in ceremonial robes nor am I wearing a white collar, I am not here as a preacher man, not even as the son of one. I merely plant seeds, the same as we all do one way or another. It is up to individuals whether or not we wish to water them.
What can we dare to learn from tragedy? In these epic disasters of recent times we have seen and heard stories of great human courage, sacrifice and mateship. Mothers hurling themselves over their babies to protect them, heroic rescuers crossing treacherous and raging flood waters to save perfect strangers in need. We have seen towns and cities wiped flat, but people rallying together to rebuild, to move on, united in that goal, bonded by devastation. In the darkest hours can sometimes be found the brightest lights.
But as with every yin, there must be a yang. Where there is chaos, there will be those who revel in anarchy. The looters, the deviants, the twisted. The opportunistic parasites that will always look out for themselves first and capitalise on the misfortune of others. They don’t help the shop owner who’s livelihood is in ruin, no they merely steal what he has left and leave. These are the vile creatures that attack a woman reporter trying to earn a living, telling the world of a plight, defiling her and leaving many scars that will never heal.
In disaster and strife we learn about ourselves. We see who are the strong and the good. We see those who are cowardly and corrupt. Humans are like teabags; you can’t tell how good they really are until they’re in hot water.
So how do we keep this all in perspective? Well, that’s up to you. For me, whilst watching Japan shake and Toowoomba drown, I didn’t hear the whining dog next door and I forgot all about the slow internet speed at my house. The minor trivialities of life were suddenly more manageable. That’s not to say that if a problem that seems big to us, it isn’t. No, we all have dramas in our lives, suffered or are suffering loss, some more than others. We all have problems that seem insurmountable, and yes, sometimes they really are. Sometimes we turn to things to hold us up, crutches. Some choose drink, others religion, some chocolate. As John Lennon said; whatever gets ya through the night.
We get one life to live. It’s not perfect. Far from it. The world is a volatile, scary place and we have to fit in it, together, as best we can, whilst trying to deal with all those who choose not to. But we still have to go to work in the morning, we still have to pay the bills that come from living in the society that we do, we still need to sweep the porch and make sure the streets are clean. Still tell the kids off for drawing chickens on the living room wall with pasta sauce. These things are part of being civilised.
But we who are doing alright at the minute should sometimes try to take stock of our lives and be grateful for what we do have and not take the good things for granted. So say to your wife that you love her. Give your kids words of encouragement. Pat the dog.
Appreciate it now. Just in case it’s not there tomorrow
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