Tsunami

The Third World keeps getting thirder. A major earthquake in California’s heavily populated Bay Area killed 53 people in 1989. Earthquakes of similar size killed tens of thousands in Armenia and Iran in recent years. Armenia and Iran probably aren't third world countries but if China can be a developing nation after thousands of years Armenia and Iran can have a similarly condescending title. The recent earthquake in the Indian Ocean was really big. So far about 2,773.5849056604 (I got that number from a calculator) times more people have died from the tsunami after this earthquake than died in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. While waiting for my plane this morning I saw footage of a river of water and refuse – it looked like the stuff Luke Skywalker et al stood in during the garbage scene in Star Wars Episode 4 (which is the first episode) flowing through Banda Aceh. All I can do when I see this stuff is make exclamations like, “shit.” After which I feel I’ve helped no one. Sri Lanka will be ready to welcome tourists in 3 or 4 months according to that countries president. Two friends of mine, Rich and Karen, honeymooned in Thailand and left the beach on Christmas, the day before the tsunami. They were lucky but I was luckier. I was in California, far from the Indian Ocean. Rich and Karen met a lot of wonderful people, many of whom no longer exist. When people use words like “incomprehensible” to describe such tragedies I can’t argue. Words really do fail - so I laugh. I laugh the kind of laughter that comes from a real loss of words and to keep from crying. Because how do you know when to stop crying?