WHERE WERE YOU WHEN IT QUAKED?

Yesterday we had a big earthquake here in Virginia.  Somewhat unusual for this area.  We east coast folks aren’t accustomed to that kind of thing, but we survived it.  Nobody was hurt, no buildings were damaged and no small children were frightened out of their wits.  But I’ll tell you what did happen.  It gave everyone in the area a good story to tell.  Everyone you saw asked, “Did you feel that shakin’?”  And then they’d add, “Where were you when it happened?”

Now I discovered real quick that they didn’t really care where you were or what you were doing when ole Mother Nature shook out her laundry, but the question was merely an opening so they could tell you where they were and what they were doing.  Some were scared; some were confused; some ran; some grabbed a loved one; but the one thing they all seemed to have in common was – they all enjoyed the adventure.

There was some damage in Washington D.C. just 150 miles up the road.  The top of the Washington Monument cracked and some dust fell off the National Cathedral.  Some closer to the epicenter, about 65 miles east of us, lost power, but all in all it was not a serious moment here in the Shenandoah Valley. 

I experienced one little quake years ago in San Bernardino, California.  I was in my hotel room one afternoon before a show, sitting in a chair reading a book.  I felt the whole room begin to shake.  I remember standing up and going to the window (not sure why) and in no time it was over.  This one wasn’t much different.  I was again sitting in a chair reading a book (does this guy never do anything else?) and I felt the house shake the way someone might grab an apple tree to shake the apples to the ground.  I stood up, my dog Chipper stood with me, and the thought that it was all coming from the basement suddenly filled my mind.  Gas pipes ready to blow?  The shaking got worse so we, Chipper and I, went to the interior basement door, ready to find out what was going on down there.  No!  Wait!  That’s no place to be if this stone house implodes.  Let’s go outside.  And by the time we reached the driveway, it was over.  Twenty to thirty seconds tops. 

The phone started ringing, the texts started coming and emails flooded in from all over the country.  Folks were concerned if everyone was alright.  And I thank everyone who asked.  All are well and no damage has been spotted. The big story now?  When is that aftershock coming and where will you be when it happens?

                                                      -DSR  August 24, 2011      1:15pm