I know that other people like excitement and disasters do well on TV but do other people secretly look forward to them? I do. I think Global Warming is exhilarating for example and I would be truly disappointed if scientists announced it was all a big mistake. That one is a a good example because it will affect me but I also look forward to disasters that will affect other people as well. I went to college in New Orleans and I was closely following Katrina as it approached. I felt physically ill from it all but I also got so worked up that, after the storm passed and before the levees broke, I was really bummed out that it was such a dud. I even enjoyed my own house getting partially destroyed (by a massive tree strike) as I did my high school (by fire) and the church I grew up in (by tornado). These things have always seemed to follow me and I wondered if I was like the main character in Firestarter.
Anyone else looking forward to global warming and maybe an odd nuclear strike here and there or am I just a low-grade sociopath?
I chose to major in geology partly because I am fascinated by earthquakes and volcanoes. I wouldn’t say I look forward to them occurring, because of the great damage they can cause, but the fact that they happen can’t be ignored, and I feel learning as much as we can about them will prevent loss in the future.
You sound like my dad, he is thrilled by natural disasters. He genuinely feels bad about the hardship they cause for other people, but is still sort of giddy with the excitement of it all when they happen to him. I think he’s impressed by the Power of Nature, or something like that.
A few years ago, he lived right on Long Island Sound when it was hit by a particularly bad nor’easter. The news was reporting that some houses on the shore had already been torn up by the storm, and the entire area was being evacuated. I called him as he was driving home from work, he was so excited and kept repeating all the weather factoids about wind speed and water surges. Then he said “I think my house was swept away!” like he just won the lottery. I asked him how he knew this, and he said “I just passed our couch floating down the street!” This was the most excited he has been about anything since the Blizzard of '77.
Yeah I certainly do. I particularly like earthquakes. Heavy destructions and casualties, that rules. I don’t think I will get as excited anytime soon, as I was during the Rwandan genocide.
I love earthquakes. There’s nothing like the feeling of smallness when it seems like the entire earth is moving under your feet.
Another amusing time was when some colleagues and I made a business trip to the Midwest. A tornado warning (or alert or something, whatever it is they send out when a tornado is in the area) went out and all of the well-practiced Midwesterners started calmly going to the stairs so they could go to the basement of the office.
Not the Californians though. Where were we? At the window looking for the tornado. Got hustled down to the basement before i had the chance to see it…
I love the thought of every type of natural disaster. Sometimes I’m almost sorry I live in such a calm area of the world. The worst we got here was that ice storm a few years ago, with the pretty ice-coated trees crashing down in the streets, and everyone without power for a week. But I love volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, you name it! I just wish that those things could happen in completely desolate areas, so nobody would ever have to die from them.
I work in disaster relief and don’t get paid if nothing happens. Even so I really do not hope for them to happen. I have seen the destruction and the pain of the people from really close and don’t desire that even on my worst enemies.
As for encouraging them, I am not sure how that would happen. Jump all day from a chair to cause an earthquake?
I don’t want them to happen, but there’s something about the approach of a thunderstorm or a blizzard that’s exciting. And then after, cleaning up the yard or digging out, commiserating with the neighbors, watching the news, enjoying the feeling that you dodged another one.
JCorre, many Midwesterners do stand outside or watch at windows when the tornado sirens are going off – when we’re at home. But at work, being Midwesterners, we follow the rules. Sigh.
Reminds me of one day when the only people at the office were me and a young woman. She came wandering back to my (inside) cubicle and said “Come look at the sky – it’s such a weird shade of green.” Seconds later the sirens went off.
On the other hand I distinctly remember a news conference during the Flood of 1993 where a disaster official said “Hydrologically speaking, the entire state of Iowa is now a lake.” So yeah, there’s a certain feeling of awe.
I used to think it would be kind of exciting to get hit by a hurricane and was secretly disappointed whenever one missed (I have lived along the coasts of Florida and Virginia). But then we finally got a few storms (no direct hits or too much damage) and then I realized what a huge pain in the ass it is to go without electricity, especially in humid Florida. I couldn’t even watch the storm since the windows were shuttered. So now all those storms can stay away, please.
Not exactly, but I do get a sort of grim satification when watching how high the numbers climb for inches of snow and/or rain, and the price of gasoline. I’m not entirely sure why, though. Perhaps because it’s more justified to complain about when they’re really high.
Mostly the chills running down my spine are cold ones of fright whenever a siren goes off or the sky goes black, but there are a few electric shocks of excitement–tiny ones.
I SOOOO wish there was more surviving videotape of the tsunami. That thing was the coolest! Yes, things like that and Katrina etc. are awe inspiring and just plain fun to watch on TV. It is a hell of a lot better than the regular news. I also love to watch storms. Lightning is cool to watch, and its fun to go outside when it gets really windy to try and stand up against the force. And quite frankly, power outages are pretty exciting as well. It is like urban camping. The big power outage a couple of years ago was, well, electrifying.
I grew up in California and thanks to years of earthquake drills, I know exactly what to do in a quake (not that I have ever actually managed to put these skillz to the test). BUT I moved to the Midwest a few years ago and I had no fucking clue about tornadoes. The first time we had a tornado warning, when I was living in Michgan, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I’m lucky my apartment didn’t get wasted because I was totally unprepared. Sure, the sky was green and it was hailing and there was a siren wailing, but who knew that meant “tornado”? Not me, until the next day when my coworkers were talking about it.
Anyway, yes, I have a secret (well, not any longer) hope that global warming gets out of control. Cause you know what happens when the earth is warmer? Megafauna, my friends! Yeah! And as we all know, megafauna = awesome.
