Earthquake Aftermath

I have relocated back home to Oregon.  It's a bittersweet feeling.  I am eternally grateful to be surrounded by family and friends who are completely supportive of my decisions.  They have been my rock and I am so tired.  Even after returning to the states and no longer being force-fed news of the catastrophe, I feel surrounded by it.  There is no escaping the endless questions about the earthquake and tsunami.  How do you explain that to people?  Even more so, how do you explain that to people at a loud bar?  A place to go to relax and have fun is still tainted with the forced feeling of answering other's incessant questions.  Are they just curious or do they actual care?  Are they going to do anything about it?  Fundraise?  Donate?  Or are they like the other scare tactic fear mongering media addicts that just want to know to satisfy their urges?  It gets old really fast.


Then I feel guilty about not wanting to talk about it and not watching the news and basically sticking my fingers in my ears and singing when Japan gets brought up.  It's like I'm running away from something that isn't going to disappear anytime soon.  It's been about a decade since Hurricane Katrina and we don't hear anything in the news about it anymore, but they are still recovering!  How long will it take for Japan to rebuild?  It hurts to think that a place as beautiful and caring as Japan should have to endure such a hardship.  These people have touch my heart so deeply and yet I feel useless in helping them.  Currently I am trying to work with Oregon State University to start a fundraising event.  It is still very much in the planning phase but hopefully it will ignite soon.  I can't stand sitting in my parent's house feeling hopeless much longer.