Photo taken in Alaska by Tawnya McDonald

We often wonder how people live peacefully in an area with a high likelihood of natural disasters. Yet we all face the possibility of disasters every day. Some of us admit the potential of catastrophic life occurrences, some ignore them, and others fixate on them. We may choose to live in what we believe is a safe environment, one usually devoid of floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, or hurricanes, but the potential always exists for something to go wrong, for things to not be the way we wish they were. We are not in charge of the elements of our lives be they geological or personal. What we can choose is how we live each moment until things explode, implode, or not. Will we hunker in anticipatory fright? Will we stockpile self-selected or fanatically-recommended provisions? Rail against the unfairness of life? Fear what has not yet transpired? Mourn what we still possess? Or, will we choose to savor and celebrate our current steps in the dance of life?