We Californians pride ourselves on riding out earthquakes as if they were a ride at Disneyland.
Especially if we are native. Once in awhile we talk about it, usually in the presence of tourists or people from Georgia, and we laugh and say how they are really no big deal. We get earthquakes all the time. I grew up on them, like I grew up on skim milk and beef tacos.
We just hold on and wait for the shaking/rolling/jolting/rattling to stop.
Caltech says we get earthquakes all the time, but usually they are so small or far enough away that we never feel them. We might be driving or walking down stairs or jogging outside when they happen, and the would-be jolting fades into the symphony of life unheard.
In my lifetime I’ve “ridden out” lots of California earthquakes. I was in junior high during a big one. When Hope was a baby I remember a shake so significant I bolted out of bed and ran to her crib in the next room. She never woke up. I ended up in the door jam, but she never knew what happened.
Tuesday at about 11:40 in the morning, we got about an 8 second shake, rattle and then roll. Luckily, the three of us were sitting at the kitchen table eating an early lunch. Jolt first, then a little shaking and then rolling. Rolling…sometimes that’s the part that doesn’t seem to end.
If you’ve never been in an earthquake, you might think that 8 seconds is not very long. But when I stop, and my heart seizes (my opinion is that you never really get used to them) and I grab the girls’ arms with an unyielding grip, 8 seconds is a lifetime. I was ready either to throw them under the table or move them away from the sliding glass door.
It rolled and swayed a little. And then stopped.
Hope looks at me and absolutely grins. As if she had been on a Disney ride. I guess it is some sort of a rite of passage for kids who grow up here.
Meanwhile, my heart is pounding. Naomi is oblivious. And my mom calls. Are you okay?
It is the biggest any of us has felt in a long time. At least 15 years. I guess we’ll hit Home Depot this weekend and buy some more furniture straps to bolt our bookcases to the walls.
Nothing is broken, nothing has fallen, at least here at my house. The only thing that needs mended, perhaps, is my sense of pride in thinking that I am comfortable in just riding the quakes out. I’ll always bolt out of bed and down the hall. I’ll always grab their arms ready to duck under the table. But I’ll always be happy they aren’t tornadoes.
I see.
Suddenly, living in tornado alley isn’t as scary after all.
Glad you are all okay.
Those Georgian”S!!!! What are we going to do with her.
I actually love her alot.
I was sitting at my kitchen table too, actually right in the mid sentence blogging the Georgian.
Here in San Diego a picture fell off the wall, but no losses, I dislike it anyways.
Rolling one for sure. We Californian’s or transplants (like me) just laugh and wait until it’s over and yes my heart stopped for the second too!!!
Oh dear…that would be scary to me. I remember visiting my grandparents in Calif. when I was little and they had an earthquake & it was weird. I'm glad you all are ok. It's easy to grow comfortable.
I’ve never been through an earthquake( I am pretty sure I would freak out) but I have been through many tornadoes and severe storms. I never got used to the strong winds or rain or running to the basement. I spent lots of time in the basement when the skies turned black.
I am glad you are all okay! I can’t say I would swap tornadoes over earthquakes – maybe I am glad I live somewhere now where we don’t have tornadoes, earthquakes or hurricanes.
it’s official. i’m not going out there… no how. no way.
you wanna meet me? meet me on the EAST coast. i’ll take a hurricane ANY DAY. ANY day.
I thought of you when I heard about the earthquake. A friend of mine visiting there and having never been in an earthquake before, found it scary and thrilling at the same time.
That is a feeling I can only imagine. I’m pretty sure it would scare me too though!
I think I would be really scared – let me re-phrase. I would definitely be terrified!
Cindy is right. I’ll take tornado alley any day. Tornadoes scare me, but earthquakes terrify me. I’m not sure I’d ever get used to either of them, but at least tornadoes give a few seconds warning.
i feel oddly as if i’ve missed out! haha. i’m a californian, so i’m supposed to be there for the earthquakes. and my mom never mentioned it, which means she may not have felt it. crazy crazy.
miss you, friend!
Oh my goodness….I’m so glad you are ok. I didn’t realize that is where you lived….maybe I did and I forgot. Anyway…I can’t imagine. We know tornados in TN but not Earthquaks…its all scary if you ask me.
Hugs,
Fran
Sheesh!! I’m with Cindy. I’ll take a tornado that I can OUTRUN any ol’ day
yeah, they are freaky. better than tornadoes or floods i guess. glad there was no damage..xoxo
Glad you and the house are all okay. I have been through a couple of quakes when I lived in CA. Don’t miss em. At all. A friend of mine texted me immediately after and was like, “In this moment the beautiful ocean views don’t seem so worth it!”
Here in Rancho Santa Margarita, we felt that quake pretty good. I was at Target and for a minute thought it might be a sign that I shop there too much !! But after the rolling I did continue my shopping…LOL And I recently saw a show that said DO NOT go under desks/tables…guess I should Google that and read more about that !!
we live in central illinois and had a 5.2 in april.. it wasnt as bad as i thought earthquakes would be… just a little sea sick feeling.. like your rocking?
funny…as i read this i was thinking back to those “fun” tornados in oklahoma we experienced. glad you are safe and what a trooper you are!
yeah, nicole. but we were about 15 miles from the epicenter. i wish it had just been a “sea sick” feeling. my husband’s business was even closer and the ceiling tiles in his office fell. he tried calling me but the phones were all down.
So glad you’re all OK!
amen to the tornadoes remark…been there as a kid…scared silly…maybe the warning is the worst part…
a quake just hits…
love, dad
I have had the debate earthquake/tornado a couple of times. Even with some of the commenters here. But my friend here in Redding that use to live in OK said that she would take a Tornado over and Earthquake and I asked her if she was crazy. She said that with the Tornado you get warning.
I grew up in Santa Cruz been in a few earthquakes big and small. I still think I would pass on the tornados. In fact I am heading to OK and I waited until the major part of tornado season was over befor I planned my trip.