The Pending Tsunami
One night when I was 5 years old, I remember a knock at our front door at a very late hour. When my mother opened the door, I think we were all surprised that it was the Chief of Police. My Dad was gone fishing on the ocean and I think we all had the sinking feeling hit our stomachs when you are about to get some bad news. To our relief he told my Mother that there was a tidal wave warning issued as there was a major 8.8 earthquake in Alaska. That was the bad news. The good news was that my Dad and many other commercial fisherman were safe and had taken their boats to sea, as you should when there is a tidal wave or tsunami. We would, however, need to evacuate to higher ground.
I remember driving through town and seeing the police in the streets directing traffic. It was very scary for us as children, as I am sure it was for my Mother.
We made it safely to my Aunt’s house and survived the Crescent City Tsunami of 1964. The fisherman for the most part saved their boats by taking precautionary action, although there were some others that were less fortunate. They either did not get the alert or did not believe it would bother them. The tsunami killed 11 people and left 15 others missing.
Thinking back on those days, and watching other tsunamis in the world, in Thailand, Japan and then Crescent City again, it made me think about how our lives can be going fine and then almost out of nowhere, something devastating can happen to uproot your life.
I read an old article and most of the businesses in Crescent City did not have insurance that covered tsunamis. Many businesses were gone forever.
You can only be so prepared for disasters of this magnitude. Insurance is always good to have if you live in a low lying coastal town like Crescent City. And it is great to have an early alert system like so many coastal towns now have.
But what if there was no way to see a tsunami. What if there was no early alert? 25,000 people died in the Fukushima Earthquake of 2011. Many of these people did not heed the warning sirens. There are countless videos on the internet that show people being swept away in the raging waters.
We are in very uncertain times globally and there are many things changing. We all have the same opportunity to look away or to pay attention to the sirens. You can never be too prepared for the inevitable. Now I am not suggesting that you build a bunker in your back yard and live in a world of constant fear and worry.
You can however create awareness in your life about the little things that are truly important
You can take steps to make sure that your retirement is in as safe a vehicle as possible
You can make sure that you are staying healthy as possible, preventing disease and life debilitating sickness
You can spend less time in front of the television and swap it for meaningful conversation with your spouse or kids
You can take the time to get away and go on that trip that you have been dreaming of for many years
You can be more charitable and giving to others
There are many things that you can do in life while you are here. It is in appreciating every moment of your life and living it to the fullest that is so important.
We have no way to control the weather. We have no way to control natural disasters. And we certainly have no way to control the actions of our “leaders” and other leaders around the world. We are all blessed with many gifts that can make a difference in the world. A great place to start is right in your very own living room. Turn off the TV. Get out a board game. Play with your kids. They will cherish the memories forever.
I remember the day after the tsunami, my dad took me and my brothers down to see the destruction and how the entire business district in Crescent City was destroyed. I remember the smell, I remember the people walking around disillusioned with what had just happened. But the thing I remember most is the ride home, back to our house. I remember looking at my Dad driving his truck and how happy I was that he was okay. My mom was cooking dinner and the news was on the TV, talking about the disaster. It felt good to be back in the safety of our home.
Change came quickly that Good Friday night in 1964.
When faced with the possibility of any type of change, being prepared mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually is a great start. But what are you doing to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you?
Money is great and it is important to have a solid and successful business. But sometimes the smallest things in life can make the biggest difference to those around us.