Oh wow I get on facebook and everytime the local news reports some barn blew over during a storm people comment "the end is near!!!" … I just want to knock their block off because all these people need to do is study a little history!
I posted this on facebook last week, but it pertains to this post as well. My great grandmother lived to be 105 years old. (1899 - 2004) To us, this is a really REALLY long time! But in reality it is just a very short amount of time. With that being said, her live was FULL of events that could have also been said to be the 'end of times'… Here are an example of a few on this website:
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2011/03/putting_the_japanese_earthquake_into_context_the_t.html
Also, in America alone there have been countless floods, the San Fransisco Earthquake of 1906, the Dust Bowl, Black Blizzards:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl (If the folks today saw a dust cloud like THAT heading toward them… They'd REALLY think it was the end of the world!)
And regular blizzards:
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-worst-blizzards-u-s-history.php
Floods/Dam Breaks/Hurricanes:
http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fact-sheets/fs.024-00.html
Tornados? Yes… I just went through 4 tornado warnings today, and a tornado struck less than half a mile from my house this morning! Scary… Yes! Doomsday? Not in the least. I have been through many tornados myself, however I used to work at a landmark (built in 1804) and I'll tell ya that place had soooo many close calls with earthquakes, floods, and many many tornados! Tornados have even grazed the place but it still stands untouched. In fact, the very town I live in was nearly reduced to matchsticks in 1913 because of a tornado.
…Not to mention the countless other man-made events that took place during her life. Such as: World War 1, Black Tuesday, The Great Depression, World War II, The Holocaust, the Nuclear bomb, the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Korean War, the Vietnam War, and even 9/11 to name the really big ones!
Here were some man-made disasters she could personally relate to:
http://www.msha.gov/district/Dist_01/Fatals/histfat.htm
And there isn't one person who knew her that would say she had a drop of fear in her body. She passed awaI think that in times like these, we should think of our ancestors who have endured so, so much more than we have… And this is only in the last 110 years! I would post links dating back 1000 years or more, but that might take me all night! :)
I don't mean to bombard you with links… But maybe you'll feel better knowing that the disasters we have nowdays seem relatively small compared to some of the disasters in these links. I remember reading somewhere that 1931 is tied with 2005 for the year with the most disasters ever recorded by modern technology (since late 1800's). Actually, after reading the links myself, it seems like things have even perhaps quieted down, if even just a bit.
