Major temblor could trigger Fuji eruption | The Japan Times

Major temblor could trigger Fuji eruption | The Japan Times

Of course we hope not.  Japan seems to exist on the precipice of disaster.  Earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons.  Well, this is probably true of every country.  My own United States has tornados and hurricanes as well as forest fires and earthquakes.  But I live within easy traveling distance of Mt. Fuji, so I think about it a lot.

A few years ago, I lived in an apartment where on a clear winter's day you could actually see Fuji about the size of your thumb.  And there were dead people on its slopes one afternoon when I went to work.  As I stood waiting for the elevator, I thought about them.  It's eerie to see a death zone from your home if you can take your own safety pretty much for granted. Especially on such a mild day.

But people living in the vicinity of hospitals or on certain stretches of road or near particular intersections know what I'm talking about if they have any sense of mortality.  Actually, we could include those living along the shores of the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico or any sea or ocean.  Lots of death on or in water.  The ocean is a lot like Fuji.  Something beautiful to look at and be upon until you make a mistake.

This are privileged statements, no doubt.  I've never been to sea, never been to war, never had disease or starvation right outside my door.  So all I could do was look at Fuji that day and think how cold that pretty snow must be.

Andrew Sheldon in the comments section is a stranger but I like the way he thinks.  With my Geology 101 knowledge of volcanos and tectonics I'm not really able to judge how accurate he is, but I like to think he knows exactly what he's writing about.