Random picture thread for Friday

A BRIEF MIDWEEK ESSAY ACCOMPANIED BY VIDEOS AND PHOTOS:

THREE POINTS OF CONTACT FOR EMOTIONAL SAFETY

Last week a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Japan. Japan YouTuber John Daub of “Only in Japan Go” in reporting on the earthquake made a distinction between minor and major earthquakes. He noted that in a major earthquake one cannot stand. That caused me to reflect upon my own experience being unable to stand during the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964.

During the four and half minutes that the 1964 Alaska earthquake lasted I attempted to traverse a narrow hallway to reach my baby sister in her crib. It sounded like the roof was going to collapse. Two specific impressions remain with me from that effort. First, the tile over cement floor of the hallway rolled up and down like it was liquid. Second, I could not stand and move forward without bracing myself between the two walls.

Fast forward to a recent rafting trip on the waters of Spencer Lake fronting Spencer Glacier and on to the connecting Placer River in Alaska. As we attempted to climb into the inflated rafts our instructor mandated that we follow the safety rule of “Three Points of Contact.” The rule requires one to have three of your four limbs firmly touching and in contact with a solid surface. It can be either two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot. As I reflect back on how I was able to reach my baby sister during the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, it was in fact by adhering to “three points of contact” as two hands and a foot remained steady against a solid surface as the other foot moved forward.

May I suggest that in order to be emotionally grounded we can benefit from “three points of contact” as well. Rather than three of four limbs making physical contact, we can emotionally make contact with others with our heart, mind and senses. Sharing and communicating our own feeling as well as listening and responding to others are ways of making emotional contact. In the course of so doing a third point of contact can be humor.

When we add humor in communicating with others we help to ground and secure our emotional contact with others by creating a stable triangle of support.

This point was brought home to me as I recently observed the interactions between members of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square during an open rehearsal. It was evident that the bonds between the choir and orchestra members were being strengthened by, during the breaks, engaging in shared humor and in the sharing of joyous and cheerful music as they rehearsed the singing of “The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music.”

Link to Video Playlist of Musicians having fun as they rehearse the cheerful and joyous song, "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLeUaaiSpjNsQ

Contrasted to their formal appearances, these casually dressed musicians can be seen enjoying themselves during a break at a rehearsal that was not without laughter.

FURTHER RELATED PHOTOS:

Pictured - The table at which I had been sitting doing homework when the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake began. From here I left to get my baby sister only to return and see the china that had spilled and broken from the china cabinet behind where I had been sitting. During the over four minutes of shaking it sounded like the roof was going to collapse so we got out of the house.

Our Rafting Guide Instructing us on the safety of "Three Points of Contact:"

the Iowa class

The street singers

chein t
chein toy co wind up toy

1892

ALASKA PASSENGER AND FREIGHT TRAINS RIDE THE RAILS OF ANCHORAGE'S SHORELINE AS THE TIDAL FLATS BLOOM

In this below linked video playlist Alaska Railroad Passenger and Freight Trains are seen riding the rails along Anchorage Alaska's shoreline followed by views of an artist's tapestry on the Tidal Flats that extend beyond the tracks to the Cook Inlet waters.

Seasonal growth of flora and algae has transformed the otherwise grey glacier pulverized rock of which the tidal flats are made into colorful fields of red and green.

The individual videos are accompanied by music.

Link to Playlist of Alaska Railroad Train Videos with Exploding Colors on Anchorage's Tidal Flats:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLEa6JfjPnZ7I

CONCURRENTLY TAKEN PHOTOS AND SCREENSHOTS FROM THE ABOVE LINKED VIDEOS:

Link to Video of Foreign Tanker Ship being escorted into Anchorage Port by Cook Inlet Tugs:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CWnnuJjBaF0

Concurrently taken photos:

Some great stuff here folks!!