The Incovenience of Volcanoes

Did you know, Aunt Angie,...??? Just an observation, but volcanoes disrupt lives? All of that awesome, scary, amazing power and energy, bursting forth, or oozing out, or blasting off tends to impact lives nearby. Or right now, in many cases, lives are at a stand still all over the world.

Take the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. I was in high school. The majority of our problem was the tons of ash that covered everything, I mean everything. And school was out for a week. But seriously, is that really a problem? Nope. Still have my jars of Mt. St. Helens ash complete with peeling, yellowed, and disintegrating handmade labels.

Jump to 2010 (I know I'm skipping a few volcanoes in there). A mostly under ice volcano in Iceland, vibrantly active, spews ash in clouds that interrupt flights all across Europe, and consequently all around the world. Millions (according to news reports) of travelers are stranded, unable to get home or back to work or leave for vacation.

Personally, my baby, due to be home for his two-week r & r before finishing up his deployment, due to leave TODAY and be home very soon, is stuck on his FOB, no way to get anywhere, no place to go, no room where he needs to go to link to flights and home, backed-up people everywhere.

He is not alone, I know. Schools opening in parts of Europe, but missing teachers and students who are on holiday, and stuck on holiday. Officials postponing big talks. Businesses losing massive amounts of money due to inability to ship freight. Airlines laying off employees. No planes, no income, no payday. What a mess!

Despite my inclination to whine a bit, I know my baby is safe (don't let him know I call him that). It is safer to not rush the schedule if ash is in the air...I'd personally like to know how 'they' convinced pilots to test the airplanes in the ash to see if it is safe and if the planes sustained any damage. ??? A teensy thought, but you cannot spend overtime or hazard pay if your plane hits a cloud of ash and stops working. Hmmmm.

So, Aunt Angie, well, you know that God made the volcano. Yes, he did, nephew. I guess we will just have to leave it in His very capable hands. In His time, all will be sorted out.

Until then, I'll face each day with hope and His promises. It's gonna be fine. Hang in there, baby of mine.

(not a volcano, but signs of hope and a promise)