Sometimes some things happen in this human existence that just make ya... well, I don't even know how to put it.
Humanity has been given multiple head's ups that we'd likely be encountering an uptick in natural disasters. From the climate change doomsday cult and apocalyptic prophecies to spiritual channelings and astrological outlooks indicating changes of times bringing earthy upheaval, it isn't exactly a surprise that mother nature's been doing what it does - bringing rather unsettling events in some places that seriously cause havoc for people living there. And it ain't always the easiest to watch from a distance either.
I first saw the news of flooding in Sumatra last week on Instagram. Having lived in Bali for 5 years, Indo will always have a big place in my heart; though having never been to Sumatra, it didn't hit home. Similarly, days later, came some news of similar flooding in Thailand - but not the islands I'd been to, so still just observing with a detachment. But then came a post with a heartbreaking cat rescue... from Aceh, Indonesia.
Some of y'all may know - in the early days of Steemit, there was a sizeable community on there/here from Aceh.
Whether due to my relocation in Bali at the time, sharing proximity, or an astrocartographical hot spot for me, there was a quick affinity between some of the guys from Aceh and myself. And occasionally, there was one that'd still check in every now & then as we saw eachother on Instagram. Immediately, I thought of him when saw the news. I forwarded the post with a question, "you alright where you're at?" Somehow, I had hoped or expected him to say yes. Afterall, Aceh's a reasonably big place. Maybe it naivety. Because the answer was not a yes. His home, flooded. (To what extent, I dunno.)
I'm still kinda stunned, days later, not really knowing how to respond. The initial "oh fuuuuuq. 🙏🙏🙏" doesn't really seem to do justice.
I can't even imagine what it must be like for people living through such things. Here, alot of us in the west end up tripping out because a Starbucks barista gives us the wrong fucking latte or our wifi connection goes to shit for a few minutes. "Problems...? How about having your entire fucking city/town/village decimated by torrential rivers of mud. Most of us can't even fathom where we'd begin on the other side, let alone what to do while it's going on besides stand and watch helplessly.
Even from a distance, I can't quite shake the sense of helplessness. What the fuck can I do? Perhaps send a donation - might help a little bit, but even then, almost feels like some cheap attempt to discharge discomfort.
And then, there's been this other reaction in my psyche. Not directly to the event, but a lingering resentment over the type of airy-fairy rhetoric common in "spiritual" circles about how "everything is working out for you, the universe is conspiring in your favor."
Really? How nice. That's awesome that there's some unseen legion of angels at work conspiring to give me a happy ending to my story... but how the fuck do all these disasters destroying the homes & lives of thousands of people on the other side of the world serve their "highest good?"
Please, all of the self-appointed new-age experts who so confidently evangelize this alleged "spiritual truth" - enlighten me on how the fuck having someone's home flooded beyond repair, loved ones washed away, and entire community destroyed fit into this grand Godly 'conspiracy' that's working in their favor? And please, without the "blind faith" bullshit.
Maybe, it is a "wake up call" of sorts to the larger collective.
Word is, the flooding happened as a byproduct of over-forestation and industrial activity - root systems that'd normally help absorb excess rainfall, having been obliterated consequential of corporations doing what they do to maximize profits without consideration of environmental effects. Maybe, more people will be taking this more seriously now, demanding change. Sucks that so many average citizens gotta take such huge hits, but maybe this will ultimately serve change that's needed. Hopefully.
original source on Instagram
I gotta confess: as much as part of me wants to move back to Thailand or Bali, stuff like this also really seems to gently apply the brake on those (compulsive) desires.
For all the YouTube videos I've binged on Bangkok, it deserves an occasional reminder of the earthquake in Myanmar that happened last year, violently shaking the high rises. As attractive as some of BKK's condos are, a bigger earthquake closer would quickly turn 'luxury living' into deathtrap. And between Bali's frequent smaller earthquakes, volcanic activity, tsunami potential, and what's becoming regular flooding during wet season... even if they haven't (yet) experienced anything recently as destructive as the current situation in Sumatra & Aceh, it might only be a matter of time.
While life may not be as exciting in Canada, is the "excitement" worth the risks? Maybe I'm getting old & boring, but being tucked away in the interior where stuff like this just doesn't happen... well, maybe I'm coming to appreciate it a bit more, if/when really considering the possibility of being off seeking adventure somewhere "exciting" only to get caught in the middle of such catastrophes. Though at the same time, security & stability in life are never guaranteed.
But lest I digress too much.
What can we do...?
Maybe, spread the word - and let's usher some support for those on Hive who are in the affected areas.
While those of us whose votes are only worth a few cents may not make a huge impact, there are still some dolphins & whales here whose votes hold some bigger weight. If you're one of them, I humbly ask you to consider revising your voting strategy for the next few weeks or so to help allocate support to those in Aceh, Indonesia who've been on Steemit since the start, have enthusiastically contributed much to it & Hive over the years, and would greatly benefit from the extra rewards at this time to help rebuild their lives.
Starting point:
# Help !!! Bencana Alam di Aceh Tengah, Kami Terisolir
@ponpase was one who stood out in the Aceh community since the early days, and put out the post yesterday. while there are many others in the Indonesian Hive community, he's been one of my main two contacts - and thus introduce him as a contact point for the community, who may further be able to point towards which accounts from Aceh in particular might do the best job reallocating support shown via vote rewards.
He will also be receiving 100% rewards from this post, so do please reblog this and encourage others you may know with large voting power to support this cause.
Thank you for your help. 🙏
Again, please go here to show more support:
The sad thing is, it seems to be happening everywhere. Just look at the flash floods in Texas a short time ago where all those little girls were lost at a summer camp. Things like that remind you just how "close" to home it can hit and that natural disasters don't really seem to discriminate. Of course, more developed countries can probably recover quicker than places like Indonesia, and the loss of human life can never been resolved.