Japan teaches Patience

Every day the media bombards us with depressing news.  There seems to be an overt focus on playing to the fears of people.  I watched World News with Diane Sawyer last night, something I rarely do because I would much rather pick and choose which depressing articles to read.  In any case, throughout the course of the half hour show, 25 minutes were spent on the tragedy in Japan, visiting the country, showing the devastation, re-playing clips of the tsunami over and over again, and also talking about the "worst case scenario" with the nuclear power plant.  It was only in the last five minutes that my attention was actually engaged and I was fascinated by what I saw.   Despite all the destruction and loss of life, there was no pandemonium or chaos, only patience and sharing.

As I watched the last five minutes, I thought back to the previous 25 minutes and what I had seen.  As American reporters surveyed the damage and talked to the locals in the area, there was an overwhelming sense of calm coming from the Japanese.  The reporters looked aghast at the long food lines, the long gas lines, the utter destruction of cars and homes, yet whenever they approached the locals with this imbued sense of fear, the locals showed no reciprocal fear (for the most part).  The Japanese waited patiently in gas lines, no honking or yelling, just waiting.  The same went for the food lines, parents holding their babies for hours, not a complaint uttered or person pushed out of the way.  Even with the destruction of the homes, one elderly couple was already scooping up mud into wheelbarrows, determined to get their small store and home up and functional again. 

The most amazing part of this ordeal that they are going through is the fact there has been no looting or vandalism.  Even with the nuclear power plant unable to produce electricity, instead of a mandatory blackout to conserve power, people willingly turned off all non-essential electrical devices, even lights, to help out the community.  Now for a quick comparison, lets jump back 5-6 years to Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans and the gulf coast.   After the flooding and destruction in our own country, a whole different scenario played out.  There was massive looting, vandalism, and a certain lawlessness that invaded until the floodwaters receded and the city was secured again.   Our country and many others would do well to take a longer look at the Japanese and see how they can keep it together in the face of tragedy.

From the 5 minute segment on the patience and civility of the Japanese after this tragedy, there was a lot to be learned.  Their whole society, mostly Buddhist and Confucist followers, have an entrenched sense of community.  They are there to help others out and rebuild their towns and lives together with the help of others.  There generosity is amazing.  When Diane Sawyer approached a small group eating together on the side of a road, they immediately began offering her food, despite the fact that they did not have much.  They would not accept a refusal of the food saying that they had enough for them.  There was no hoarding mentality or selfishness, just giving and kindness.  If we have a desire to change the status quo and dig ourselves out of our own little foxholes, then we would do well to study the Japanese way of life. 

I have alluded to the importance of community in the past and the Japanese are excellent examples of how a tight knit community can overcome odds and still remain positive.  We are all more than the sum of our parts.  The more involved we become with community, the stronger we become both individually and as a whole.  Simply knowing that there are strangers out there who are willing to jump in and help regardless of the circumstances has a calming effect and can dispel depression and anxiety.  If we have community to fall back on, then we need have no fear of what the future holds.  However, most people don't recognize this simple concept.  We are all in this together, this rollercoaster called life, and we can not travel the road alone.  (OK, so we technically could, but it would be very depressing and difficult).  Maybe it is time we reached out to others in our communities, shared our stories and listened to theirs.  We all have unique traits that when combined with others, can produce fantastic results.  Do you have a community to fall back on?  Are there people willing to go out of their way to help you?  If not, start building your community around you.  Talk to your neighbors, friends, fellow townspeople.  The larger a community we have supporting us, the more balanced and worry free our lives will be. (At least thats my take on it.)  Smile, for today is a blank page waiting; only you can determine what gets written down.