{"id":1722,"date":"2011-03-15T09:28:17","date_gmt":"2011-03-15T00:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-03-15\/1722"},"modified":"2011-03-15T09:28:17","modified_gmt":"2011-03-15T00:28:17","slug":"inspiration-in-the-midst-of-indescribable-heartbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-03-15\/1722","title":{"rendered":"Inspiration in the Midst of Indescribable Heartbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 2200 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nInspiration from an Eight-Year-Old<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My 8-year-old son, Anthony, came into my den while I was<\/span> watching video\nof the devastating tsunami that hit up north a few<\/span> days ago. We're untouched here in Kyoto<\/a>,\nbut of course he's heard that some bad event happened. I showed<\/span> him a few<\/span>\nof the less graphic videos, and described a bit<\/span> about the hardship that the\nsurvivors must be enduring. He seemed<\/span> to grasp that it was a bad<\/span> situation,\nand wandered off.<\/p>\n\n

Later, we found the note above on my wife's desk. It says:<\/p>\n\n
\u307e\u307e\u3078\n\n\u3053\u306e\u304a\u91d1\u306f\u307c\u304f\u306e\u304a\u3053\u3065\u304b\u3044\u3067\u3059\u3002\n\u3044\u307e\u3068\u3046\u304d\u3087\u3046\u306e\u3078\u3093\u3067\u3064\u306a\u307f\u3068\u3058\u3057\u3093\u304c\u304a\u3053\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\n\u305d\u3057\u3066\u3001\u3067\u3093\u304d\u304c\u306a\u3044\u3070\u3057\u3087\u304c\u3042\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\u3067\u3093\u304d\u304c\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3089\u3060\u3081\u3060\u304b\u3089\u3053\u306e\u304a\u91d1\u3092\u308f\u305f\u3057\u3066\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u3002\n\n\n<\/td>Mommy,\n\nThis money is from my allowance.\nNow, earthquakes and tsunami are happening in the Tokyo area.\nTherefore, they don't have electricity. Not having<\/span> electricity must be bad so please send this money.\n\n<\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n\n

He placed 112 yen (about $1.25), which I think<\/span> is all he had left after a recent<\/span> shopping trip.<\/p>\n\n

Of course, his selflessness chokes me up... but I hesitated<\/span> whether I\nshould<\/span> share this on my blog for fear of coming across as the over-proud\nparent I am.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

But on the Japanese news they're reporting that governments in the\naffected areas are faced with an awkward problem... there are so many\npeople here who want to do something<\/i> to help in a meaningful<\/span> way,\nbut when it comes down to it, individuals entering the wasteland to help\nprobably make more trouble than good, so at this point the governments are\nturning away all but large professional organizations that can look after\nthemselves as well as those they're trying to help. At this point<\/span>, the best\nan individual can do is send money to those large organizations.<\/p>\n\n

Yahoo! Japan is credited in the domestic media as having set up the\nfirst large-scale acceptance for donations for the earthquake, but outside of Japan\none's first thought is likely a chapter<\/span> of the Red Cross. If you'd like to donate....<\/p>\n\n