ALL SHOOK UP!

It takes about 3 full seconds to realize “oh crap! It’s an EARTHQUAKE!” You first think “Damn! That’s a bad car accident!” or “Is there a demolition crew on the street?” Then as the shaking continues & gets worse your next thoughts are: “Is THIS IT?” “IS THIS THE BIG ONE?” And usually by then it’s all over.

And that’s what was going through my mind at 11:34 a.m. in Los Angeles today as we rolled through yet another quake. Then the REAL FUN begins. How BIG was it? As I stood in the street with dozens of my neighbors today (Yes it was a work day, but no one actually WORKS in this neighborhood) the guessing game began right away. “That was a 6!” I say. “No! 4.8” counters the girl next door. We were both wrong as the first report had it at 5.8 later revised to 5.4 Then we all stroll down Memory Lane: “Were you here for the BIG ONE?” Referring of course to the Northridge Quake of 1994. And laughingly mock those who were not here in L.A. at that time; sounding like some grizzled veterans of a foreign war. Then we all return inside to our separate homes; likely to not speak again until the next BIG ONE or some other shared disaster.

Thankfully no one was hurt in today’s quake & damage was minimal; broken bottles, rattled windows & rattled nerves. It’s coming ,that BIG ONE…we all know it’s coming…but we just return to our safe cocoon of denial. In 2 days no one will even be speaking of it & by week’s end we’ll have totally forgotten it. Until next time.

Photo Credit: Jim Loomis Los Angeles Times