Yes. Well. We had an earthquake. The papers say so and so does every news channel. And so indeed does every other person I know. 5.3 on the Richter scale. This is quite impressive, given that the UK is not on any fault line.
However, here in the Casa de la Rocking Chair, we felt nothing. NOTHING. I slept through the whole thing, and so did my son. Everyone else has stories to relate of thinking that there were burglars under the bed, and such like....me? Nothing. This is a very reassuring thought. I can sleep through an earthquake. One needs to know one is prepared for anything. One can leap into action in emergencies. All I can say is that I am going to have to make arrangements for someone to check whether I am buried under rubble in future quakes. I feel quite cheated in a weird way. Not that I have any unfulfilled desire to be in things like earthquakes, or tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions. My family phoned to make sure the house was still standing, and I have to say that I have not checked anything. I operate on the premise that I would notice if there were unusual things like bricks on the drive, or plaster littering the place. In the absence of such things, I am going to be an ostrich and assume that all is intact.
The failure to wake for earth quaking events could have something to do with levels of exhaustion though. That is something I could write a treatise on with ease. There are differences in tiredness, and healthy exhaustion is one thing, but bone-sapping weariness is another altogether. And lovely though our holiday was, it was not one of those relax and do nothing times. I don't actually do the "relax and do nothing" kind of holiday, now that I come to think about it. I do energetic things. Like walking miles. Climbing Alps. Staying up late to chat to my sister. I need to rethink the word "holiday"! Some adjustment might just be necessary. Maybe.
12 comments:
We live right in the heart of earthquake country. 5.3 is a pretty good shake.
Sometimes we feel them, sometimes we don't..
I can certainly relate to your state of exhaustion these days. I think mine is more mental and lack of sleep though.
xo
Coming from New Zealand, I am used to feeling earthquakes.
I wonder if I would have woken.
I sleep badly, fitfully, but wake often, & seem to sleep deeply in between.
Can't seem to be able to access the comments to the last post... so I'll leave it here instead!
"I just seem to have a need to see those thoughts in a scenario other than in my head. On the computer screen, or on paper. They dance up and down in front of my eyes when I close them..... they want to get out"
That's just how I feel at times....I feel the need to hear my thoughts in a different medium than simply buzzing in my head... and reading them as if they are unrelated to me allows me to understand things more objectively.... makes sense to me... well sort of!!
Anyway glad you slept through the tremor...I have to admit that I wouldn't choose to relive that particular experience even though it was deemed to be a little one... I like a firm ground to walk on... and too many memories of it showing it's vulnerable side will play havoc with my brain!!
I love your blog. You write so well. You need to be writing books if you are not already. You have a great sense of humor and the ability to capture the moment...I want a real holiday...the do nothing kind...like you I seem to fill every moment I am awake with activity. I am always afraid I might miss something or an opportunity to create or feel alive. May all your dreams come true.
Pat
Linds, do you have a lot of trains near you? Whenever we experience a rumble, I always just assume that it's a train until I realize that I've not heard a whistle.
LOL about making arrangements for someone to check the rubble...I don't imagine that you have a thing to worry about!
Have things settled down to "normal" yet?
Isn't that the truth? Holidays and vacations ARE exhausting. Yours must have been a real doozy if you slept right through an earthquake!
:-)
We once had a tiny earthquake up here. We just all went "What was that?" and then the next day it was in the paper.
Writing... with you there. It's definitely a compulsion.
Wow, so some people actually DO sleep through earthquakes! hehe One thing I always wonder though...why is it that they usually happen during the night!! Hate that when it happens! lol We've felt tremors here and it's scared the beejeebers outta me so I can just imagine how I'd react if we had the actual earthquake here! Remember all the hoopla for the year 2000? Well that night, we were awoken around 3 a.m. by an earthquake tremor and after all the horror stories we had heard about the Y2K, we thought the world was coming to an end! lol Ends up, they'd had an earthquake in Quebec and we had felt the tremors. Sheesh! I always say I need a vacation after being on vacation! lol Take care my friend. xoxo
I was in California once for an earthquake of that same size. It was a weird feeling. But - I didn't hear about England's! My brother and SIL are here right now from Manchester. I'll have to ask them what they know.
Once again, excellent writing!
I have heard people say before that so and so sleeps so sound that they could sleep through and earth quake....Now I can say<"I know of someone that actually did that."
WE've had two earthquakes, but we felt them! And made a closet for earthquake preparedness after the second one! Glad to know you didnt have any damage, and hoping you get some rest, soon!
I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but I operate on the premise that God's in charge of earthquakes too. Think it's better to put daffodils
on the table, and take a much needed nap, than to worry about something you can't change anyway.
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