The Earthquake

We had an earthquake here on the east coast yesterday.  That's pretty rare.  Fortunately, it wasn't bad in my area.  At first I thought someone was just stomping really hard while coming up the steps (which I guess says something about the floor of my bedroom.)  

There was no wild crashing, no roof caving in on me or floor giving way.  My teacup collection rattled and my bed, which I was sitting on, trembled a bit and that was it.  

Apparently the earthquake did some property damage in Washington.  The news warned that there might be aftershocks but so far if there have been, I haven't felt them.  Facebook is full of comments on the earthquake (including mine.)  I kind of wonder, if I lived someplace like California where earthquakes are more frequent, would ours have been worth all the notice?  

I remember a few years ago we got some really nasty snowstorms and my college classes let out early.  One of my professors commented that where he'd come from, up north, people wouldn't have canceled the class, but there everyone knew how to drive safely in that kind of condition.  They get snow more often and less ice.  My mother is a nurse and has to deal with life and death situations -not every day, but certainly more often than I've ever had to.  I think I'd go crazy from the stress if I was her, but I'm not a trained professional.  

So much of what a person considers dangerous depends on where they are and what they're used to dealing with.  I'm really thankful that I'm not used to earthquakes, or blizzards, or life-and-death decisions.  I hope I never will be.