Friday, February 12, 2010

One Earthquake Begets Another

Exactly one month ago, January 12th, the earth's foundations shook beneath Haiti, toppling infrastructures and devastating families. A 7.0, they say, whatever that means. (Seems strange, applying numbers to such cataclysms. I guarantee you, no one in Haiti this morning is talking in integers. I mean, if you're dead or paraplegic or family-less, who cares if it's 7.0 or 0.7 or 700?).

I, too, felt the earthquake. And, although I didn't lose family or limbs, I did lose a bit of inhibition that day. Pushed past the tipping point we all (don't we?) summon courage and muster from deep within and step forward to confront our enemy.... in this case: human suffering. "Enough is enough!" we say, adrenaline surging. We must respond in kind... with an earthquake of our own. And, with not just a little trembling and quaking, we put our money and our day-planners where our mouths are and actually do something.

Thus, one earthquake begets another. My going there was just a warning tremor....

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