Robert’s Journal from Japan
Japan, April 15, 2011
The devastation, the complete obliteration of numerous communities has been documented many times in this blog and elsewhere. Ted, Sosha and I have written about the horror of what we’ve seen here. Although it is difficult not to speak of it, for it is so awesome in its magnitude, I wish to relate today another story about the endurance of the human spirit, the capacity in us to go on in catastrophic circumstances. Today, this week and through this last month the example resides in Japan; in the regular people; the mothers and fathers and the children and their ability, their need to carry on.
I was privileged to witness similar courage in Haiti after the tremendous earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince, Jacmal and Leogane. Fuel Relief Fund did some good work in that country, as well. There also, the Haitian people showed us what our human strength and goodness looks like – we, each of us to the best of our abilities share this capacity – and that is what prevailed through it all.
Now, the fire for life in Japan was evoked by terrible circumstances. But here are still smiling and laughing children, an old man staunchly carrying twenty liters of fuel from our truck to his home a kilometer away, the mother with two little ones by her side expressing her thanks, the workers and Japanese volunteers cleaning and repairing meter by meter.
Today, in a neighborhood where the Tsunami waterline shows at about three meters high, a group of six young boys were taking turns practicing with a single skateboard. Our translator, Kenji Christopher Suzuki, who is an accomplished surfer, went over to them to give them some examples of good skateboard technique. He mounted the board and after a series of beautifully done moves, received resounding applause from the boys and the people waiting in line for fuel. We laughed and clapped together. Happiness and joy is what he brought out in all of us. That’s all it took. We found that part of us, the part that knows life must go on and is happy for it, and we shared that wonder for a moment.
Robert Picariello
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