Without Warning

Living in California, one learns to coexist with the knowledge that any second an earthquake may hit. It's knowledge that we tend to shove to the back of our consciousness. If we didn't, we'd all be worried wrecks. I've felt several large quakes (nothing above a 7 though) and to say the very least, they are utterly unnerving. When I lived in the Midwest, there was the threat of tornados. Tornados however, come with some warning and you can at least escape them to some degree by taking refuge in the southeast (I think that's right, it's been a while) corner of your basement.

Earthquakes have no warning signs. You can't escape them. Your whole world just shakes. Walking is impossible. I've been fortunate to ride out 2 of them while in bed, which in my opinion is the best place to be when one hits. I remember the Northridge quake; I was getting ready for work. I was applying lipstick just as it hit...you can imagine the resulting smoodge across my cheek. As the shaking continued, I realized I was in my stocking feet and my brain said "you can't be shoeless in an earthquake!" Okay, try to put on heels when the house is shaking. All this occurred within seconds. My brain wasn't registering with what was happening in that moment. Suddenly I was on the floor. It had felt like the world's largest bulldozer kept ramming the house over and over.

I cannot even fathom what the earthquake in Japan must have been like at 8.9!!! The level of shock the people must be feeling is unimaginable. Not to mention the overwhelming devastation. I can't send enough prayers and good wishes out to them for their safety and survival. How do you even begin to "dig out" of something that catastrophic?