Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Japan

I cannot tear myself away from watching the news about Japan. More than anything it is because of the tremendous sense of community, calmness and dignity that the people of Japan show in the midst of this tragedy - it is unbelievable and it inspires me.

My sentiment is shared by so many members of the western media who have first hand accounts of other disaster areas across the world. This sense of community, dignity and calm comes from watching reports about Japanese cities and villages - one reporter describing evacuees greeting one another with a Japanese term that roughly translates to "we're in this together". It also comes from the tiniest details. The smallest things amaze me and just remind me how much I love Japan.

In another news story, the reporter spoke about the high number of earthquakes in Japan and how everyone in that country is prepared. They mentioned that majority of people have an "emergency bag" or "grab bag" that is filled with some basic supplies.  What really moved me when I saw this story is how beautiful these bags were. Most of them in gorgeous patterns and bright colors. I was thinking to myself that there are few places in the world where the person who is preparing for an emergency situation - if they plan at all, would spend any thought on the bag itself. It may seem so irrelevant, so unimportant, yet, after this great disaster it somehow sums up the attitude of the person caring it and for me it reflects the order, piece and dignity that is now so apparent among the Japanese survivors.

The attention to every detail is one of many reasons why I've been so inspired for years by Japan and it's people. It is also the reason why I'm certain that even in the midst of this tragedy, Japan will rebuild and recover better than any other place on earth ever could.

Please take the time to generously donate to help the people of Japan so they may recover, rebuild and continue to inspire the rest of the world - no detail overlooked.

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