Beware of those tsunamis of life
The concept of scale is inextricably woven into the fabric of life at all levels, and manifests itself in a myriad ways.
There can be no denying or escaping its force, nor can any meaningful understanding of our planet and the universe be attained without a grasp and application of its all-encompassing significance.
Anybody who has experienced a tsunami in Japan, Indonesia or the vastly damaging version that occurred in the Indian Ocean, would attest to the massive scale of destruction and loss of life wrought by this behemoth of nature.
Wikipedia lists all recorded tsunamis from prehistoric times to the present, and the cause has invariably been movements within the Earth.
An idea of the scale and intensity of this natural phenomenon is reflected in: “Why did the earthquake and tsunami occur in Japan? Was it the act of an angry God? No, it was the result of the movement and collision of the earth's tectonic plates – a process driven by the earth’s need to regulate its own internal temperature. Without the process that creates earthquake, our planet could not sustain life.” - Adam Hamilton
“Because of seismic and volcanic activity associated with tectonic plate boundaries along the Pacific Ring of Fire, tsunamis occur most frequently in the Pacific Ocean, but are a worldwide natural phenomenon. They are possible wherever large bodies of water are found, including inland lakes, where they can be caused by landslides and glacier calving. Very small tsunamis, non-destructive and undetectable without specialised equipment, occur frequently as a result of minor earthquakes and other events.” – Wikipedia
“The deadliest tsunami in recorded history was the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed almost 230,000 people in 14 countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Myanmar, Maldives, Malaysia, Tanzania, Seychelles, Bangladesh, South Africa, Yemen and Kenya.” – Wikipedia
But what of the tsunamis of life? Those challenges and crises that afflict most of us from time to time?
While the scope pales into relative insignificance on the global scale, personal suffering, family and institutional fallout, and the destruction of relationships loom large to those affected in the process.
Greed, emotions, unrequited ambitions and envy seem to nourish those personal tsunamis.
Corruption, suspect dealings and self-centred actions add impetus. The terrible twins of compromised integrity and dishonesty are at the helm of the ill-fated journey.
What of possible lifejackets in the tsunamis of life? Perhaps some hope and advice can be found in:“Anger mirrors one's extreme feeling, whether in a right or wrong prospect. However, it is a tsunami of one's mind; damage upon all figures.” Ehsan Sehgal
Perhaps processes in humans mirror the Earth’s tectonic forces that regulate imbalances in temperature and sustain life.
Maybe our personal tsunamis are preordained and intrinsic to our DNA. There is much that we still need to learn about ourselves, our planet... and the universe.