On Earthquakes

When you see the rips in the landscape, the disturbing cracks in the mountains, and collapsed roads that have dropped to the valley floor below, you can't help but feel powerless in the face of nature.

Reminds me of the 9/21 Taiwan earthquake. I remember how I felt really disturbed when I saw what had been the 6th floor of a building become the 1st floor. Or, or, when we couldn't drive further because the road we were on had split. The separate part had risen and was taller than me. There were roots poking out of the earth. And the crack! Such a crack! It's difficult to describe the scene and convey the confusion of feelings and thoughts of that time.

Oh! We always see such stuff in the movies, apocalyptic movies, war movies, alien invasions, the earth being destroyed, etc. But when you're actually there, and you see the ground cracked, ripped apart, well, I definitely felt really small in the world. I felt this primitive sort of fear, not overwhelming, just an undercurrent feeling. And at the same time, I felt that wonderful feeling of hitting an epiphany, except this epiphany was terrifying! that My God! All this is an illusion. We've got all this technology, all these powerful concrete, steel buildings that make us feel invincible! But when it comes down to it, we're just small creatures on earth, in the universe, at the mercy of nature.

I mean, I knew it all along.

I was just shocked how sobering it was to reacquaint myself with this knowledge.