It is the dash. In the tombstones of many, it means the lifespan, between the year of birth and the year of death. In a job, it represents the period of employment between the starting and leaving. A dash, therefore, represents a period of time. It could be very short or long as a lifetime! It could be the period between January 1st to December 31st!
Every dash contains a story or a history! And I found Steve Jobs' dash so remarkable and awe-inspiring. I heard about Steve mostly in the primetime news, in things, well, related to Apple. His name did not get much of my interest at the start simply because ain't a Mac person. Until I was introduced to TED (www.ted.com) when I seemed to get to him upclose and personal. Posted on TED was his 2005 Commencement Address in Stanford University titled 'How you live before you die'. His talk was so loaded heavily with wits and wisdom peppered with humor. He can be quoted in practically everything he spoke. Since then, I became his avid follower. Much about his life were revealed after his recent passing.And his person became even bigger with his death! Well done Steve! Humanity just lost a genius!
This might one of the shortest among the dashes. But its impact affects what seems to be a lifetime to many. On March 11, 2011, 2:46 in the afternoon Japan Standard Time, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit the eastern Japan what has been dubbed as 2011 Tohuku earthquake or the Great East Japan Earthquake. Considered as one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world (and Japan's worst ever) since modern recording was available, the tremors sent powerful and massive tsunami waves, rampaging everything on their paths of destruction. Tens of thousands of lives lost, missing and destroyed, countless people were displaced. Over hundred thousand buildings damaged or destroyed. There were nuclear accidents, nuclear meltdown in some nuclear power plants. Most of the gut-wrenching events were recorded as they unfolded. The images of black waves rolling from the shoreline down through the nearby urban center, carrying everything on the paths- cars, homes, people, animals, etc, was so surreal. It sent shivers down to my spine. I thought I saw clips of the futuristic movie, The Day After Tomorrow!
And while working on this topic, I did not expect something to happen in this year's dash, right there in the place I used to call home in the Philippines, in Iligan City! December 17 before the break of dawn, many people were roused from their peaceful sleep by rushing water. Flash flood caused by the heavy downpour brought in by Tropical Depression Sendong inundated a wide area in Iligan City as well as in Cagayan de Oro, which is about an hour drive away. This calamitous event was never expected, for these places had rarely been hit by storms history-wise. And besides, Sendong (international code name - Washi) being designated a Storm Signal 2, with winds gusting around 60 to 100 kilometers per hour (kph), was not as dangerous as many people would imagine. The continuous downpour of heavy rains which rapidly soaked the denuded areas was blamed for the inland-tsunami-like waters which swept and rampaged thousands of homes and establishments, waking thousands of people up from their sleeps. Unfortunately, the same rampaging water unforgivingly drowned hundreds of innocent lives in their sleep. This incident happened just a week before Christmas!
The scene of dead people lined lying like logs on muddy roads, the morning following the inundation, was horrendous and heartbreaking. Included in the fatalities were some of my relatives, and few colleagues at previous work. Many of our friends though they considered themselves lucky for being still alive, were not spared from the unexpected inundation with murky waters reaching from hip-level to the rooftop. Most of their belongings (household appliances, furnitures, books, etc) were damaged, some of them with only the clothes on their back! For certain, this was not the way they want to celebrate Christmas of 2011!! But it happened! As such, I offer my condolences and deep sympathies to the families and relatives of victims whose lives were lost in the tragedy. I share my hopes and well wishes to relatives, friends and families whose households were damaged, as they start to rebuild their lives again!
This year's dash is highlighted with countless milestones which will surely merit some pages down in the history. And some of these mementoes will continue to shape the future that's been unknowingly stored for us. The year 2011 is almost gone to history but we must be thankful and grateful for what this year had bestowed for us. For they help us make through to the upcoming year, 2012!
Happy New Year Everyone!
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