Let Them Have Quake!



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Yes, it's a pathetic attempt to humorously use Marie Antoinette's commonly attributed exclamation "Let them eat cake." These days historians say she didn't even say it. Whatever. I felt it fitting for my blog post on the the Great East Coast Earthquake of 2011!  As all major world events which happen during our life time, this will be included with that question: "Where were YOU when the quake struck?" 

I was in my office when the entire building began shaking. I heard through my paper thin office walls my good friend Cathy exclaimed to our coworker, "Did you feel that!?"  I knew I wasn't dreaming. I ran out of the office yelling, "Oh my god! I felt it! I felt it!!!"  I think Cathy followed that up with something like, "I'm not sticking around!" and with that, I was eating her dust as she bolted down the hall. I soon followed, but like an idiot, went back for my messenger bag. Yes, people, I KNOW you are not supposed to. I hear all of you yelling at me, "You are supposed to leave that stuff behind!" But this being my first earthquake and all, please forgive me.

Cathy and I also went out through the wrong exit door, for some reason opting to take the employee exit 100 feet away when we had an emergency exit 5 feet away next to our two offices.  I guess what I am saying is in a situation of panic, don't look to me for guidance because most likely I will lead you in the wrong direction.

I honestly thought it was either a sink hole under our building or a gas explosion in town, this being Allentown, PA. Several years ago, a government building was swallowed up partially be a sinkhole and they had to make a parking lot out of it. Allentown is also know for gas main explosions due to an antiquated natural gas pipe system citywide. Come and visit me at work real soon now, OK? Just bring a hard hat, a long rope to pull yourself free of rubble, and a first aid kit.

Once outside, none of my coworkers and I could get good cell service, it was spotty. I was able to get online and saw the 5.9 earthquake was centered in Virginia and was felt from North Carolina to Massachusetts with the western areas being Illinois and Ontario, Canada! It was the largest quake in the Virginia area for 7 decades! Thankfully I was able to get through to my sister Sheryl and she was fine:  shaken, but not stirred, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Soon after, all sorts of comments from West Coasters were showing up on all of the blogs and news agencies, not to mention on Facebook and Twitter telling us East Coasters to get over it.  The earthquake was not a big deal. It was small and we shouldn't be wasting so much time on it. Excuse me? Yes we know you have earthquakes like this far more often and stronger than this but come on! Let us have our quake!  Yes we have the occasional flooding, hurricane, snow storms, or twisters, but never earthquakes like this! This was unprecedented!  I say let them have quake! I like living in Pennsylvania because NOTHING HAPPENS! And I like it that way! We don't have mudslides. We don't have dust storms. We don't have blizzards of 10 feet. We don't have wild fires. We don't have long term droughts. We don't have El Nino. We don't have homes falling into the Pacific. We don't have Tornado Alley.What do we have? Amish people, lots of deer, great Fall weather, and lots of bunny rabbits.

So do me a favor my West Coast friends and family, LET THEM HAVE QUAKE! It will probably be another 70 years until our next big one. I promise you that you all can have the earthquake spotlight until then.