"The Realm Beyond" a Devonport Travel Page by SharrieShaw

Jan. 8, 2005

Devonport was where I spent 2 nights of my life in. Nothing unusual about that.
But when you think about it, if your life will be over in a few minutes, then a lot of things comes into perspective.
These 2 nights, the entire world changed for more than a few million people literally.
Some died, some still lost & some, we'll never know.
These are the 2 nights where I saw images of the aftermath of the tsunami that had killed more than 100,000 in Indonesia alone, not to mention thousands more in 7 other countries from Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka across to Africa.
The very 1st time I tuned into the television after I left for the last vacation of the year (& an incredible one for that) on Christmas Eve.
It was on CNN, as with 9/11, where I first came to grasp with the reality of what appeared in front of my eyes. You'll think they are scenes out of Hollywood movies.
In fact, "The Day After Tomorrow" came to mind.
The extenet of the destruction, of sorrows, of finality... how does anyone comes to terms with that?
They were just so unreal... to us all except for those who were there (perhaps?) & many were there!!!

Yet, when I walked out on the streets of Devonport, everything seemed perfectly normal... ~peace~
The world was in chaos at that time, but our capacity to deal with life beyond the present seems unimpaired.
On the other hand, it made me realised that as much as men hope to control the world & one's own life, it's only a human illusion at best.
Everyday is a miracle... the moment we open our eyes in the morning, walk in faith down the street & plan our lives & retirements thinking we'll have one. We are an optimistic bunch, aren't we? Shouldn't we?
Even amidst tragedies, the human race managed to come together as one, to find solace in one another.
That's the miracle during these times, isn't it? That we are not living as individuals, but as a spirit... a spirit that will not be broken & a spirit that will go on regardless! & it's in that spirit there lies the hope & the light, isn't it?! & it's the belief in this spirit that propel us to go on, forever & ever...