There are many stories I'd like to tell, but I believe that since today is quite historic, I'll focus on the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami that has resulted from it.
Yesterday, I had to drive into downtown L.A. It's not often that I have to make that trek, but there was an item that I needed to have appraised, and so I headed down into the jewelry district. As I was exiting the 110 freeway I stared up at the enormous, beautiful shiney buildings. They loomed high up in the sky, blocking out the sun. My heart sped up a bit and I thought, I hope there's not a huge earthquake right now! If so, I would surely be caught up in the midst of instant chaos, not to mention it would be absolutely terrifying and life threatening. I found a place to park at 7th and Grand (each quarter I placed into the meter gave me a whole four minutes!) I soon found out that the item I brought in for appraisal was worthless. So, I got the hell out of downtown L.A. and headed to USC where I had a date with some kindred spirits - an old friend of mine (Scott) and a few new friends (Fredo, Sara and Donovan). There's nothing like being with your tribe - like minded individuals who come from your planet and get who you are, as you get who they are too.
We congregated in a small basement room under the Electrical Engineering Dept. and watched experimental videos on Pano (Panoramic) Chamber plasma screens. It was fascinating and I was sad to say good bye but it was getting late so I made my way home, via the 5 freeway, which was STILL jam packed at 8:30 at night! (How do people do it every day!)
After arriving home and eating a late dinner I was flipping through channels when I saw it. The devistating footage was just starting to filter in on CNN, Fox and various other news stations. It was hard to watch, but you couldn't look away either. I saw people on foot trying to out run the waves as they raced up over the beaches devouring farmland and houses. I saw a huge semi truck bulled over and carried as though it were a tinker toy. I saw someone waving a white sheet from a second story window at a helicopter pilot, trying to get his attention and help. I saw amateur footage of office workers and grocery store surveillance film. I just sat there and I watched. And, I cried. And at some point I realized, it could have been me along with millions of others in Los Angeles. But, instead, this time, it was their turn. And, my heart goes out to the Japanese people. My thoughts and prayers too.
Today I watched Obama on television. He was asked by a Japanese reporter how the Earthquake in Japan effected him personally. Obama said something to the effect of how it made him realize - through all of our differences, we are all 'one' on this planet. His words reminded me of a song I wrote a few years ago (From my "Explore the Earth" CD) which goes something like this, "We all live here together. We cannot escape. So let's get along. Learn how to relate - because we're all in this together, we all share this world. And, we're sailing through the universe. We're orbiting the sun. On a silver blue spaceship. We might as well have some fun. Because we're all in this together. We all share this world..."
And, each moment that we battle each other over our differences, and each day that we waste precious energy and time separating ourselves instead of uniting is one more day lost because there will come a time where we will need to join forces to protect this incredible planet, whether it be from a natural disaster or an alien invasion, and we will have all wished we hadn't been so goddamned stupid and petty and counter-productive, wasting valuable time fighting each other over power, religion, oil, land, and god knows what else! And, I hope that I will be alive to see the day when we really all do become 'one'!
Thank you for reading my very first blog. (It wasn't so difficult after all!)
Janine
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