Well this certainly is an interesting week. Yes, I was a little shaken up by the earthquake on Tuesday. I will readily admit it. While our friends on the west coast giggle about it, I would like to remind them that we on the east are simply not used to quakes. -- a 5.8 quake is not a small one, despite the giggles and jokes about chai latte, plastic lawn chairs, etc. With the earthquake out of the way, many people here on the east coast are preparing for what may potentially be a devastating hurricane.
It's not lost on me that this week is also the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on Monday, August 29, 2005. Nor have I forgotten that we are fast approaching the tenth anniversary of the Attacks of September 11. These were seminal events; ones that caused panic, sadness and fear and death for many Americans.
On Tuesday, I was lying on the couch. I was watching a bit of TV before I was to go and vote in the Virginia Democratic primary. I felt a rhythmic thump on the back of the couch, and I assumed it was our dog wagging her tail. I quickly realized that it wasn't the dog, and that was when things got a little crazy. I stood up grabbed the couch and caught the lamp as it nearly fell on me. The bookshelves swayed and the piano started banging against the opposite wall. I knew this was a damn earthquake, and in those 30-45 seconds I froze. I was actually proud of myself for having the wherewithall to make sure I was out of the line of the bookshelves and the Piano -- I turned my face away from our large living room window. I really didn't know what else to do. I was scared, to be quite honest. When It stopped, I was even more frightened.
I was afraid that it was just the beginning. I was waiting for more quakes. I wasn't sure if things would get worse or if it was over. I called Bob and told him what happened and after I hung up I cried. I felt silly for doing that, I didn't know why I was crying, until I knew why I was crying. The last time I felt such uncertainness, was on September 11, 2001.
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