When I visited this crazy
earthquake-tortured bridge a couple of blocks from my house on Monday, I had to wait my turn to take photos. It was already 'famous' by then - photographed in the early hours of Saturday morning just after the 7.1 earthquake and posted on the Internet.
I've cycled over this pedestrian-cycleway hundreds of time and as I look at it now, I still can't quite grasp
the enormity of what has happened in Christchurch over the last six days. Maybe we would have been able to grapple with things better if Nature had given us just one earthquake. Nature of course, isn't that straightforward - as has been made patently clear - and six days on the city is still trying to cope with continual after-shocks. Some reports say there have been over 120.
Frankly, my nerves are now so frayed I'll believe anything.
Yesterday - a little 'after the event' I'll concede - I put a mattress underneath my dining room table. It was to be a safe retreat prompted by yesterday's massive after-shock that seemed almost as bad as the first quake (in my head). I snuggled in for an afternoon nap and felt like a kid in a playhouse, at least until another after-shock came along and wobbled everything from the ground up. As I lay there, writing ridiculous things on the bottom of my solid rimu table, I wondered if anyone would ever get to read them. It was a silly distraction at a time when most of Christchurch is in dire need of 'silly distractions.'
I slept through last night's after-shocks and so far today, things seem solid and sturdy again. They're not of course - and may not be for weeks - but I am forcing myself to believe that all will now be well. Clinging to tiny strands of normality will get me and hundreds of thousands of others, through.
When I visited this crazy earthquake-tortured bridge a couple of blocks from my house on Monday, I had to wait my turn to take photos. It was already 'famous' by then - photographed in the early hours of Saturday morning just after the 7.1 earthquake and posted on the Internet.
I've cycled over this pedestrian-cycleway hundreds of time and as I look at it now, I still can't quite grasp the enormity of what has happened in Christchurch over the last six days. Maybe we would have been able to grapple with things better if Nature had given us just one earthquake. Nature of course, isn't that straightforward - as has been made patently clear - and six days on the city is still trying to cope with continual after-shocks. Some reports say there have been over 120. Frankly, my nerves are now so frayed I'll believe anything.
Yesterday - a little 'after the event' I'll concede - I put a mattress underneath my dining room table. It was to be a safe retreat prompted by yesterday's massive after-shock that seemed almost as bad as the first quake (in my head). I snuggled in for an afternoon nap and felt like a kid in a playhouse, at least until another after-shock came along and wobbled everything from the ground up. As I lay there, writing ridiculous things on the bottom of my solid rimu table, I wondered if anyone would ever get to read them. It was a silly distraction at a time when most of Christchurch is in dire need of 'silly distractions.'
I slept through last night's after-shocks and so far today, things seem solid and sturdy again. They're not of course - and may not be for weeks - but I am forcing myself to believe that all will now be well. Clinging to tiny strands of normality will get me and hundreds of thousands of others, through.
2 comments:
I had started following you on twitter a short time before the EQ, your posts buzzing to my cell phone. My next dream trip is NZ so I enjoyed your messages and "followed" you as you finished you travels. I really enjoyed your sense of humor and will look forward to getting the Frommer's when it comes out. As for the EQ. Selfishly I am devastated that I've missed seeing CC and areas before the destruction, but was thrilled to read most importantly there were no fatalities. Your tweets really show your strength and ability to find humor no matter the circumstances. Strange as it sounds I look forward to you starting your day for the humor it brings mine.
I wish you well. Please.. keep 'em coming. Abarie06
Thanks so much for you lovely comments. I've always had faith in the power of humour to get us through not only the difficult times but in fact, every day. Caught up as most of us are, in the rat race that is western society, I think we too often overlook the small, simple beauties of life and the ordinary lives so often funny and wry. I look forward to starting every day - no matter what - in anticipation of some 'ordinary jewel' coming my way. Best wishes from shaky Christchurch. ajr
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