Something to Grin About

The quake: Chaos and civility

Excerpt taken from ManilaTimes  :


Last year, a friend e-mailed us some reflections in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan. We wish we could cite his source but he could not remember, when asked, but he said the material came from the Internet. The message was about the civility, discipline and grace the victims showed after the disaster. We quote some of the lessons we could learn from Japan:

“The Calm. Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.”

“The Dignity. Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a rude gesture.”

“The Grace. People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.”

“The Sacrifice. Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the nuclear reactor. How will they ever be repaid?”

“The Tenderness. Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM was left alone. The strong cared for the weak.”

“The Order. No looting in shops. No honking and overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.”

“The Conscience. When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.”

And the media?

“They (the media) showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.”