Waves

Dec 27, 2004

News over the wires: my cousin, Tyler Allen, is now engaged … my grandfather, Louis Sisco, spent the night in the hospital with a swollen leg, from an injured knee and a long, cold drive south to Arkansas with my mom to visit Chris and his family … and my dad was in the islands of south Thailand a few weeks ago, the same islands that yesterday were devastated by the tsunamis. He’s back in Honolulu now, safe and protected by the early warning system there, which last year sent Hawaii residents to high ground when an earthquake in Alaska threatened tsunami.

One of the more distinct and memorable dreams I’ve ever had while sleeping is one that featured a tsunami. In this dream, I watched from a cliff high above, intrigued by the giant wave of water rolling in below. I was living in Hawaii at the time, and I must have been aware of the dangers of tsunamis, but this dream didn’t scare me. That fits a pattern: I’ve been fascinated by earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornadoes and tsunamis. In recent years, though, my fascination has given way to horror as news from around the world shows just how destructive those natural forces can be. My prayers tonight are with the millions of people around the Indian Ocean who are living a nightmare.

Anton Zuiker ☄