No life is certain (April 23, 2019)

No life is certain

Yesterday, a mediocre earthquake shook Metro Manila, it was measured are around 5.7 in terms of intensity and locality and 6.1 from the Richter scale in terms of magnitude.

The epicenter was in Zambales and the result was a supermarket collapse in Porac, Pampanga, resulting in 8 deaths (at least) and a score of injuries.  Classes were suspended, government offices in Metro Manila were also suspended pending the necessary clearances from the government to move on with life and their respective operations.

Personally, I was on the road when the earthquake happened and I did not notice it.  What I noticed was the reaction of the masses to the event.  Clearly, the government is not ready for such an eventuality and all preparation were for naught when an actual earthquake transpired.

With the benefit of hindsight, just imagine if a higher magnitude happens and the epicenter is in the Metro Manila.  For certain, the death toll would be higher, the injuries would be higher, and the damages to property and infrastructure would be more massive.  The lack of preparation would be more evident. 

Economically, this would translate to more hardships for the poor and an exploitation opportunity for the craven.  The economy would fluctuate and the poor would carry and endure the burden of such an act of god.  Even the term an act of god is a misnomer since why would we attribute a normal phenomenon to god?  Because an earthquake is a natural phenomenon, as of 6:00 AM, this very morning, 608 aftershocks were already recorded and counting and there would still be more movement since daily, the world literally spins on its axis.

Psychologically, the death resulting from this recent earthquake reminds us that no life is certain.  Rich or poor, high or low, we are all subject to the whims of tide.  Just as every tide kissing the shore is unique, just as every grain of sand is unique, every life and its resulting outcome are not certain.  One could plot and scheme his way in life but life would naturally take its course well beyond the planning and scheming expended.

Death is certain, life is not.  Hard work and its parallel expenditure are tangible but the result is still intangible, it is still not a certainty whether the result would be according to one’s desire and design. In general, life is a disappointment and acceptance (or its level of acceptance) determines the level of happiness one extracts from life.

And speaking of extraction, philosophically, the age old wisdom of time being fleeting is never truer.  At any given time, life could be gone.  Everyone wishes to die on their own terms, but the reality is that only few are accorded from such a request.  Our time ticks whether we spend it wisely or waste it stupidly.  They say that youth is wasted on the young, and that the old are perpetually jealous of the young because of the energy and time that the young possesses.  The irony here is that the old were once young and they too; wasted their youth.

And so, the cycle of jealousy begins and never ceases.  Ironically, yesterday was also declared of the official Earth Day for the year.  The jest is that Earth once again proves that it dances to the beat of its own tune.

Comparatively, the death toll extracted by this recent earthquake pales in comparison to the death toll extracted from Sri Lanka by some still unnamed terrorist group.  The death toll was 290 and the number of hurt is around 500 and still counting.

April 23, 2019