So yesterday NYC experienced its first substantial earthquake in a very long time. According to reports after the Japan quakes, we were long overdue. When this earthquake hit, I was on the ground floor in the "Elastic" Bookstore with my friend and her toddler daughter who came to visit.
Like many people at ground level, we didn't feel a thing.
I didn't realize something had happened until I saw EVERYONE leaving the "Elastic" offices and filling out to the street.
What shook me up was ACTUALLY the aftermath, (not the actual quake). I stood outside with a lot of nervous people on the street looking up at the buildings and had (minor) flashbacks of 9/11. There was the the fear of the unknown, and questions of what was coming next.
Then someone asked the question of whether it was smarter to be standing in the street or in the building? (We were all outside looking up at the building). Nobody seemed to know.
Like many people at ground level, we didn't feel a thing.
I didn't realize something had happened until I saw EVERYONE leaving the "Elastic" offices and filling out to the street.
What shook me up was ACTUALLY the aftermath, (not the actual quake). I stood outside with a lot of nervous people on the street looking up at the buildings and had (minor) flashbacks of 9/11. There was the the fear of the unknown, and questions of what was coming next.
Then someone asked the question of whether it was smarter to be standing in the street or in the building? (We were all outside looking up at the building). Nobody seemed to know.
Then in the middle of this, I had a new fear: is this going to shake the economy too? Seriously... that was my next thought, which always comes back to the question "Will I be unemployed (again)?"
People were even joking about it, posting silly photos on facebook of the "damage" (lawn chairs knocked over, water bottle on the floor).
All the worry and anxiety was for nothing.
I believe every experience has a lesson learned. Here is mine from yesterday:
What to do during an Earthquake:
If you are inside drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly. If you’re in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator.
If outside, stay out in the open and away from buildings (you could be hurt by falling bricks and glass.
What do to about Worry...Don't. Don't worry about things (like natural disasters and aftermath) that you can't control. Just do your best to be prepared, be smart with your money and keep on truckin'. No matter what happens, you will figure it out.
Barb's Top 5 Quotes About Worry:
We are more disturbed by a calamity which threatens us than by one which has befallen us. ~John Lancaster Spalding
Rule number one is, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it's all small stuff. ~Robert Eliot
You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time. ~Pat Schroeder
Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weights you down. ~Toni Morrison
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