Sunday, March 13, 2011

Forces of Nature

I am not a morning person. One would expect that after waking up early morning every single day for school, then college, then university and then work that I’d eventually get used to mornings. This however is an area where the truth defies logic. Last week I was actually seriously contemplating that when the time will come for me to look back at my life at an old age, one of my major accomplishments would be waking up early in the mornings. Leaving my warm cozy red duvet to face the cold and get ready for the day. It takes sheer will power. Speaking of accomplishments, one should not forget how I have also mastered the art of snoozing the alarm. Keep pressing the ‘Snooze’ button whilst trying to catch some extra shut eye between the snoozes, hoping that time will stop or somehow stretch to make those 5 minutes last way longer than they actually do.





Hence began another morning. I remember the morning very well. I was walking to work, and having my usual talk to God about how I fail to understand the point of mornings and the day should begin with afternoons. I reached work, took off my overcoat and was about to make a beeline to the cafeteria to get some tea when my colleague came up to me and burst out if I had heard the news. There had been an 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan, which had triggered a major tsunami. The news hit me like a splash of cold water. Memories of the devastating earthquake that hit Pakistan in 2005 came flooding back. Pakistan’s tragic earthquake had been 7.6 on the Richter scale, 8.9 was just insane. I snapped back to reality, and logged on to see the news. I saw the footage of the tsunami, and read about the devastation caused. My heart went out to Japan.

The earthquake moved Japan’s coast 8 feet and even shifted the Earth’s axis by 4 inches. It triggered tsunamis across the globe, all the way to Hawaii. The news keeps coming till now, about how there is an imminent threat of a nuclear meltdown in Japan. It’s actually terrifying how nature has decided to unleash its wrath on mankind over the past few years. Floods in Pakistan, major fires in Australia, Earthquakes around the world, drought in other areas, it’s enough to cause a shiver down my spine as I write this. Some friends have reached the conclusion that the Mayan’s were correct and the world is actually ending in December 2012. The more religious ones believe this is a sign that the end of times is near. Then there are those who choose to ignore such events, happily living up to the old adage that ignorance is bliss.

I don’t know what the future holds. For all I know the world could end tomorrow, or stay intact till my last breath. I don’t want to know what the future holds either. Some things should just be left to God. God gave us this wonderful planet and knows the best time to end it. What I do know is that we sometimes tend to take too many things for granted. A secure life, a house providing shelter, friends and family whom we love and want to share our experiences with.

Japan before this earthquake would seem to be a safe abode to stay in, with minimal terrorism threats, no bomb attacks and even earthquake resistant buildings. Article 9 of the Japanese constitution even renounces war, and hence Japan reserves a minimal quota of 3% of its GDP for military expenditure, relying instead mainly on USA in case military protection is required. Known as a technology hub, Japan would be the last country one would expect to have problems in their nuclear reactors. Yet in the blink of the eye, within minutes, the whole stability, the foundation, the security that had always been taken for granted was snatched away by fate.

I pray the Japanese people will survive this disaster and come out stronger than ever before. The world is united in its concern for the Japanese people, with money pouring into charities and rescue efforts. I pray with the world for Japan, and would encourage people to help out in any way possible. We are all one, and if one of us suffers, the whole world will bear the brunt. These are tough times, and it is important that we pay heed to the realization that what we have always taken for granted could have been taken away from us also. If we have something, and we are in a position to help out then why not take jump at the chance. Who knows how long that opportunity is going to stay with us. Life is not only unpredictable, it is also short. It is time we stopped taking everything for granted, and use what we have been blessed with to help those less fortunate.

For starters, let us all pray for Japan and a safe future for humanity as a whole. Ameen.

7 comments:

  1. great article amna *hug* you're right life is so unpredictable, and we also we have become so ignorant. it's so scary but you know sometimes i think that maybe all these disasters are happening to wake people up. to remind them that what you have now can be gone the next instance. so treasure what you have and help the unfortunate ALL the time and not just when a natural disaster strikes. my prayers go out to japan and any other country who is still suffering from the after effects of a natural disaster they went through, but are forgotten about.

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  2. I am glad you wrote about this as I was just thinking about the natural disasters across the globe yesterday only. Also while the world is eyeing Pakistan's nuclear plant with suspicion who would have thought that any nuclear plant even of the most solid nation is unsafe. this brings out news aspects to the nuclear control and security debate.
    Plus the satire is so well.
    keep writing.xx

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  3. again Amna 'hats off' for the most awakening thought. And the spirituality you have got in your writing is so breathtaking, the inspiring feeling is so hard to explain in words... :)
    amna khalid aka oscar wilde

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  4. Glad you enjoyed the article Asmaa. *hug* right back atcha! and yea, good to know you're praying also...Japan and the world as a whole needs our prayers right now. Allah Khair karein.

    Thanks a lot for the encouragement Aismab. You have brought up a very good point, nuclear power as a whole is very unsafe territory, considering the increased probability of natural disasters and hence the increased uncertainty. It is definitely a matter that the world as a whole needs to seriously consider and review.

    Sibte you are too kind as always, not only in your praise for my writing but also in encouraging me to write my blogs =) Glad you found the spiritual aspect in my articles also. Thanks again!

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  5. Amna,

    This is a great post. Thanks for sharing. So many people are sheltered from tragedies such as Friday's disaster in Japan. Having grown up in the US, I must admit, it's very easy to take a nice home and a loving family for granted. In a lot of ways, though, it's somewhat selfish. This is one of the reasons why America is such a divided nation right now: too many people are only interested in their own situation, and the conventional wisdom is, "as long as things like Friday's earthquake aren't happening in America, it doesn't matter." I refuse to accept that belief, and I think you put it best: If we have something, and we are in a position to help out, then why not take jump at the chance. This is so true because, at the end of the day, those who have a helping hand to lend are made better by lending their hands as the knowledge and appreciation for others that's gained from helping out is really invaluable.

    Again, thanks for sharing. I thought this was an awesome post.

    -Joe

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  6. Wow, Amna! I am impressed with the way your words dance to the tune of your thoughts. Meet me, your namesake :). I am Amna from Peshawar, Pakistan. I am English Literature and Applied Linguistics major from Peshawar University. I keep hunting for good blogs and articles because I have a passion for reading. I also have a passion for writing; and I do not only take up prose but even poesy under the shelter of my thoughts. I hope to read more from you! Thanks for this one, it was an excellent read :) Stay safe!

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  7. Hey Joe. Glad you liked my post. Hope it provided some food for thought, I think there is so much we can learn from things that are happening around the world. I'm happy to hear you agree with me its important to be helpful. Thanks for dropping by my blog =)

    Hello namesake =) Nice to meet you Amna. I'm glad you enjoyed my post. Wow you must be smart, considering your major! I hope to write more inshAllah so please do drop by my blog again, considering you love reading and all! take care too hun.

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