Have you cried? Do you care? Please tell me I am not alone.

reply to post by westcoast


My friend, you are not alone, ive been struggling with this too... for a while
however, I'm also being overwhelmed with emotions... i feel, for once in my life, no longer like an individual... and more part of something much much bigger, something greater is grabbing me, and it's not just me, it's everywhere I go... it's the fear of the unknown, yes, but more-so, it's an awakening.
Whats happening to us now, is extremely important, be proud to live in these trying times!

More and more i find people are being triggered by recent events to find out what's really going on out there... and im not just talking HAARP projects, or Bohemian Grove stuff either... I mean everything!
Look around you, we are in a time that will abolish borders and completely obliterate nationalism as we know it... IF WE LET IT.

Now all we have to do is make sure the power doesnt go in the wrong hands again.

The revolution has begun!



To user:westcoast in particular,
I cried reading your post... your honesty is breaking away at my shallow self and getting me where it counts. You are truly selfless.
By that, you are confirming this awakening more and more
Thank you, thank you, thank you, my brother.....





some music for the long road... Patience - Damian Marley & Nas
www.youtube.com...

reply to post by westcoast


I cried the whole night after it happened. Didnt get to bed until after 4 in the morning. I was watching the news and reading the threads about it here on ATS. I posted the quake on my facebook page and the tsunami right after they happened and not ONE single person commented on it. The next day I posted on facebook for Japan to hang in there and my heart is with them and I got TWO likes. Most of the people I talked to about it said that they cant do anything about it so why dwell on it? REALLY?

I would much rather feel a variety of emotions then shut them out and ignore them. It was really depressing to find out how little people care about other people if they are not in their everyday lives. I wish the people of our country were more like Japan. Do you remember all the reports that came in from Katrina? Looting, murder, rape it was horrible. Why is it that when we have a devastating natural disaster the criminals take it as an opportunity to come out and "play" as if things aren't already bad enough. It makes me sick.

You are not alone. There are people who care tremendously.

Yes, you made an excellent point about Charlie Sheen as well. People would much rather have a diversion and someone to point their finger at and feel superior to than to face reality, therefore, Hollywood provides us all sorts of little gems for us to latch onto as opposed to awaken and look around us to see the fallout occurring.

I will say this though. The world is in a transition stage, and those who don't care, will more than likely suffer the same fate as those who are currently suffering. This is what happens when apathy becomes a country's worst ally, and they will soon be put in those very same positions. This also addresses those who come in to threads to poke fun of the plights of those currently suffering.

Its all coming around and many will have to swallow their own vices.

I don't actually feel depressed about it, in this case, and this may sound odd, but i find it very uplifting. Looking at Japan and how they cope with such problems, and saying things such as "I'm just happy to die here with my family doing what we can" is very inspiring to me.

They're so competent honorable and strong while still being kind to each other, not turning on each other not panicking or fighting over resources. It's incredible.

It really raises my faith in humanity, which is usual quite lacking.

reply to post by Alina


This is an interesting viewpoint, one I completely overlooked. Your views have also found a home within me also. I wish the world could pick up on your optimistic and loving viewpoint.

You are not alone, as I have been feeling the same way. Just looking at the first pictures made me wonder where were all the people that lived in the destroyed towns, and it made me very sad because some families will be suffering for years. I could barely sleep, although I did try to stay focused and calm, but this tragedy has been like a cloud hanging over me.

We are becoming too detached and apathetic, and it is not good. I know exactly what you mean about sharing information, when you mention it people just shrug, or make a joke-In the store the other day, the people in front of me were joking about how they saw all the cars washed away, and they wished it had been their car, so they could have collected insurance money. Guess this is how we deal with things now, by making jokes, like some celebrities have, but death and destruction are not funny, at least not to me.

It is good to feel things, as we are supposed to feel emotions. That is what makes us human. It does feel like we have been experiencing many events lately and this makes me wonder what is next...I will keep praying for the people in Japan, and hope that things will get better.

I get exactly the same reactions.

Sometimes I just sit alone in my room and it pours out. Seems like no one around me even cares.

I wonder if humanity deserves the misery it gets, for never caring about each other.

But, somehow, I still do.

reply to post by Alina


we need more beautiful people people like you

reply to post by westcoast


I have followed this disaster since the beginning. And yes, I have cried. I have cried less than I did on 911, but I think that was partially because I was 6 months pregnant at the time... raging hormones. But nevertheless, when I watched the footage (on separate occasions), I cried. But I am not feeling the despair like I think I should be. It does bother me that no one else seems to even care. They just go about their day as if this isn't happening. My own family does it. On a positive note, my 9 year old wrote the sweetest prayer on his laptop two nights ago. A prayer for the Japnes (his spelling) people. It was precious.

God Bless!

I actually did get a little watery eye syndrome while watching a live video from one of the emergency shelters where people were checking lists of who checked in and they interview this older woman, maybe around 60, and she says "I am waiting for my husband to arrive, he was supposed to leave the house a little bit after I did, I hope he gets here."
I never cry for anything, cried when i lost my grandparents so far thats it'

Originally posted by SeekerofTruth101
Don't really wish to be a party pooper, but let's face it. We will not have enough tears to shed as more is to come, and will come.

Let us instead face what is to come with courage and togetherness as one race, sharing and helping one another in the trials. The most painful of it all will be natural events, for there is no way we can control nature. We can only best prepared ourselves so that we need not live in fear and die a thousand deaths daily.

But there will be man-made events that will equally hurt as well, and it is those that we must unite and find a common ground to resolve those issues as one race for the sake of humanity, for it will be those that are man-made that will doom us all and leave no remnants.

Cry no more, and face life with courage from today. It will not be the end of the world if we dont let it, by each and everyone of us taking responsibility and action to
do which is necessary for not only our survival, but for our loved ones, family, relatives and friends which makes
up the world we live in today.

I feel that is so true. This is not going to stop with Japan, just as it did not stop with Haiti or Australia or New Zealand, to name but a few. I've been following Westcoast's threads for a few months now and feel I'm reading the writings of a kindred soul, so my heart races every time I read of potential threats to that side of the country. Thanks to the internet I have friends all over the world I care about as much as I do my face to face friends. So many beautiful souls populate our world, despite what the cynics say, and I am privileged to have become acquainted with so many of them. We have to be strong, compassionate and come together as one, united in positive thought and resolve to get all of our friends through the coming troubles we will be facing together under the same crazy moon and wild sun. I'm not speaking as some weird 2012 disaster junkie but as someone who pays attention and realizes the whole planet, and probably our whole solar system,is making a few "adjustments" that aren't going to be easy for any of us to ride out. And of course we have our own stupid human effects on our environment to contend with, as well.

I felt a small earthquake here in MD last summer. It seems to have been forgotten by everyone here and probably for good reason. Everyone I've talked to think it was nothing, just a meaningless burp of the earth. But it woke ME up. I no longer believe there is any safe harbor. I'm immune from nothing that the universe will be throwing our way. So I deeply respect and watch and learn from my brothers and sisters who have been hit with hardships and do not sit here feeling smug and safe.

reply to post by LoveSoldier


You called empathy evolutionary. wow. That set me down for a few minutes.

The reason I frequent ATS is for the thoughts of others who manage to tweek my neural pathways in ways I might not manage on my own. When this happens, as with your post, things start snapping and slipping into positions that open up a variety of potential insights which is often difficult to contain in a coherent way. I have often been accused of being to circuitous so, please, as I wade through these strands, bear with me and I hope we can come out of the other end.

There seems to be, in the human condition, this great divide. Not so much between people but between the types of people we are. I think empathy has something to do with this.

It isn't that some of us have it and some of us don't. I think we all do, it's just, some of us suppress it, which is understandable to me. We have in our culture, popular American culture at least, this image, this icon, this arch-type of the strong individual. It is fed to us from childhood. "This is who you are, this is who you should be".
So many of us grow up thinking this way that it becomes me against the world. At this point it is only through competitive success that we can be "who we should be" and there is no room for empathy in this model.

Empathy destroys the competitor. It weakens the warrior.

If we consider spirituality in an evolutionarily sense, I can see where weak empathy would be important. Babies are born with little sense of self or other. A babie's sense is, ALL. As the baby develops, the sense of these differences begins to emerge and the individual slowly comes into focus. Without the development of this individual self, the sense of ALL just remains. For me, the reason for being here at all, is that we have the ability to be just that. Individuals within the ALL.

I see that the individual is a most fragile thing. When we consider individuated consciousness existing in light of ALL consciousness it is truly a wonder. It needs to be nurtured and protected so as to not just flow right back into the All before it can find its own strength. With this in mind, I can understand why strong empathy would not facilitate the nurturing of the emerging individual consciousness. As the baby becomes the child becomes the adult, it is then the persons individual responsibility to open those paths of empathy for the emergence of the individual back into the ALL.

I think that we have two strands of development working at the same time. The development of the individual and the development of the whole of humanity. I think these two trajectories are converging. For those empathic individuals who are ahead of this curve, to much empathy can be crushing as the limited empathy of humanity as a whole continues in it's battle with itself"s defense.

Our world is pushing us to develop. More empathy or a continuance of this competition model. "Compete or die".Until all are gone save the winner.

Actually we are being pushed in two directions. To progress or to regress. The road to progress for our race is empathy.

Well, I managed to write this without going to far afield. These were new thoughts for me and I thank you for that. I hope it was not two incomprehensible.

reply to post by westcoast


Unfortunately no. I have neither cried nor felt anything besides seeing the cars outrun the wave. That's the only time I felt sad. I can honestly say I don't feel may emotions to begin with, and this has not changed that.

I still care. But I just don't feel emotion to these things besides when i physically see people obviously about to die.

reply to post by westcoast


watching that terrible black wave wash over the rural Sendai region certainly shook me. I was struck by how much the area resembled parts of rural west michigan. The story about the baby girl surviving the catastrophe to be reunited with her father definitely got me choked up.
I would have to disagree that facebook is a good thermometer for society, I think it's more like a funhouse mirror. I think the reaction here on ATS has been pretty good.

reply to post by westcoast


Yes, I get tears in my eyes just reading your post to be truthful. I can barely watch the news reports but (as silly as this might seem) I feel like the least I can do is pay attention to how this disaster unfolds.

I think some people try to use misguided humour to disguise how helpless they feel. Similarly, people who are used to being in control will try to ignore, downplay or even get angry about the situation – because there isn’t anything they can do. They’ll try to blame the victim because the alternative is too scary for them. Some people just want a quick fix on everything and if that can’t be done – they can’t be bothered (or perhaps feel too overwhelmed) to care about creating a long term solution. That’s my pop psychology for whatever it’s worth.

But truth be told, it’s hard for me not to get outraged at some of the comments and at the apathy in general. For example, there's that stupid thread on here that's asking if the dolphins or whales have somehow caused the disaster. I understand, the poster is trying to lighten the mood. I enjoy South Park too, but, I can't help but shake my head and wonder what the h*** is going through some people's minds.

I don’t quite understand how people can't be affected by the emotional and physical tragedy that unfolding before our eyes.

At work, I have to keep my emotions in check --- because all I want to do is talk about this disaster. So I thank God that at least I can find like-minded people here who sincerely do care about this terrible tragedy. And are diligent about getting accurate information out as quickly as possible.

So please know, you're not alone. I think we're all in good company here on ATS.

While I think all the processing has set in on what has happened and is going on, I cant help but think I wish I were Superman or some other "hero" that could help and make it all go away.

Watching people suffer like this is horrible. What can someone like me do 5,000 miles away ?
Sending money doesn't make me feel any better. Being able to personally hand someone a warm blanket and food would feel 1000x better. I just wish I could do it.

I'm a 52 year old tough guy with a shaved head. I cry every time I think about it. I cry because we fought, forgave each other, became close friends and now our friends are hurting bad and there isn't a damn thing we can do but be there for them. Like when our kids are teenagers, there are some things we just can't make better.

I am so sorry for our friends and it does hurt so bad. Any of our friends that read this: I love you all. Please remember that.

Great, I'm leaking again.

An aside: I know that if the same thing happened to us we would not act with the same reserve and dignity. That's another thing I am sad about.

reply to post by westcoast


I just feel the need to defend New Yorkers here. While in everyday life they deal with alot of stress and pressure (traffic, taxes, crowds everywhere, broken public transportation, a callous mayor, etc etc.), they may seem like zombies because they try to ignore so much just to get through the day, but I wish you had witnessed New Yorkers after 9/11 - the amazing rallyiing of people to help others - to do whatever they could. People who had to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to get home were greeted on the Brooklyn side by strangers who rushed there to give out water. People with cars offering rides to complete strangers (Yes - in New York). One store owner brought my sister out a pair of slippers because she had taken off her shoes and was walking barefoot. Strangers holding hands and walking along singing. For weeks afterward they rallied together - showing each other amazing respect.

Granted it took a crisis to bring this out in them, but its in there - just buried a bit.

reply to post by mizd18


Thank you. I don't think I expressed myself very well regarding the people I saw in New York. It isn't that I see them as bad, but just a good example of the symptom of neutrality so many people have taken on in order to deal with the day-to-day craziness. It just isn't healthy. It isn't how we are meant to be. It shouldn't take a disaster to bring out the humanity in us. Can you imagine if everyone acted like that all the time? Showed compassion, caring and love for a stranger instead of indifference? This is what I mean.

To all that have posted and sent me U2U's: Thank you SO much. Thank you for allowing me to decompress by writing about my feelings and for reassuring me that I am not alone in them. I know there are so many of us that are aware of the grace available if we only acknowledge it. It's THERE.

I used to be very 'raw' emotionally as a child. I learned to supress is when I was teenager. I built my walls strong. It took until my mid thirties to start to break through but it seemed whenever I got close a new pain would cause me to pull out the mortar again. Well, I am finally in a good, strong loving marriage so I have felt safe and in a place in my life where I could allow myself to feel again. As I mentioned, about 6 months ago I had a bit of a spiritual re-connection. I have always beleived in God but lacked faith. I don't want to make this thread about religion, but for me that is where this source of energy/love is coming from. I feel it was what connects us all and is available whithin us if we only allow ourselves to feel it and experience it. I think we all have to a degree at one point or another in our lives, but becuase of how commercialized religion has become - we don't recognize it for what it is. Different cultures call it by different names but I think it all stems from the same source.

With this realization came my faith...and so much of my pent up pain, frustrations and lack of patience in others just went away. I can feel others so much more clearly now...really feel their presence and we are all great. I really mean that. Every single one of us no matter who we are or how different we may be, are all just as beautiful and capable of love.

Thanks again for all the posts. So nice to see the warm souls that visit ATS.