The events in Japan this week make us realise how trivial our worries really are. For us, we may only be living the disastrous fallout from the earthquake through newspapers and the news channels, but the sight of people in cars trying to outrun a tsunami wave will haunt us forever.
We complain about Britain because we know it follows one of the most market-orientated modes of government - at the expense of welfare. When we had some 'extreme' (by our standards) weather during winter, the damage was measured in terms of cost to the economy rather than the effect it had on everyday life. Sadly, that discourse runs through the media, even the BBC.
But there is one thing we can be truly grateful for, and that the weather and the climate we complain about is, in reality, not extreme at all. Neither is the land in which we live, which is one of the safest geological locations on the planet.
Tonight, and every night since the disaster unfolded, I have been praying for the people of Japan. We hoped the earthquake would not be too destructive. Then we hoped the oncoming tsunami would be gentle with the population. Now we hope that the problems experienced at the Fukushima nuclear plant can be resolved.
So far our best hopes have been in vain. Now is the time for the world to pull together, first to help our Japanese friends, then to start looking after each other a little better, and stop worrying about the financial cost of everything.
