Cut Off

Yesterday a storm passed through Germany, knocking down trees, and causing a bit of mayhem. When I arrived at the train this morning there was a lot of commotion - hoards of people jumping in taxis, more people than usual shuffling around the bus portion of the station.

When I reached the platform an announcement came over the loudspeaker indicating that the there was a problem with the Oberleitung, or the electrical lines that are used by the trains just north of our station and that no trains were running up to Essen. Luckily the trains were running into Düsseldorf.

When this type of storm hits Germany (there have been a few since we arrived) I realize how fragile our existence is, and how heavily we rely on technological advancements to make our day to day lives possible. Then my mind jumps to the worst case scenario - if all transportation stops - there is no option for walking home. In this case I mean, home, home, i.e., the United States.

Natural disasters always lead one to ponder. I was stunned by the recent earthquake in China, typhoon in Myanmar, and flooding along the Mississippi. But when a storm hits Germany and disrupts daily life, I think of this worse case scenario - we would never make it home. I think this comes from the weight of responsibility I feel as a father who packed up his wife and children and scooted off to Germany, with no exit strategy. Whatever the cause, it is a an emotion that I didn't experience when devastating storms hit my town or surrounding towns back in America.