Sometimes, it feels like the sky is falling…
It’s shut down European air space, trapped hundreds of thousands of people, and affected all sorts of plans…whether your a friend of mine, worried about a flight to join his girlfriend in London, or one of a dozen world leaders unable to fly to Krakow for the funeral service for President Lech Kaczynski. Sadness, frustration, anger…all exemplified by the massive cloud of ash — venting bits of hell into the uppper atmosphere.
It’s also ironic that is is happening during a week in which I taught a history class about the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii in 79CE.
From my point of view, on this grey, moody morning, the Earth seems…angry. Unsettled. Dozens of large earthquakes over the last few months, and now this eruption. Our little planet seems to be reminding us that we’re just puny, defenceless little creatures. Uppity little bipeds, at the mercy of titanic forces we can’t hope to control. We cling to a thin crust, which ripples whenever the planet flexes its muscles, in spite of all our technology and arrogance. All we can do is be patient and survive the onslaught.
Mind you, it could be worse. According to most historical evidence, Eyjafjallajökull’s eruption ususally triggers its larger, more apocalyptic neighbour, Katla. Katla is a volcano that once took away summer for the entire northern hemisphere. Let’s hope history decides to pause, rather than repeat, its cyclical nature on this occasion…
