I DO NOT like Earth Quakes!

So, I think it's funny that the big question of the day has been "Where were you at when the earthquake hit??" So with all the Earth Quake hype today I thought I would put my two cents in and be done with it!

I'm TERRIFIED of Earthquakes. You don't even know. I have this over whelming fear that I'm going to be the one on the 6 o'clock news that has been squished to death and their pulling me out of the rubble. Now that I'm married and a mommy, this fear has just been magnified. I'm such a control freak and I hate that feeling of everything around me being completely out of control. I got this fear when I was 17 years old when the Northridge earquake hit. It hit at 4:45 am in the morning and I happened to be in the shower getting ready to start my day. I thought I was going to DIE naked, wet and in the shower! I remember screaming, jumping out of the shower (sopping wet with soap in my hair) putting my clothes on without drying off and running, down the stairs, past my Dad and straight out the front door. I parked my soapy wet self right on the drive way and didn't move for a while. I was so so so scared!

Today I was at Costco when THE earthquake hit. Not my idea of a fun place to ride out one of these movers and shakers thinking I'm going to be squished by the big tall racks that will domino their way through the store and hit me or having the roof collapse down on me. This may sound morbid, but unfortunately my fear is real. I hapened to be standing at check out while they were ringing up my items when it hit.. and I panicked. Poor Mason was on the other side of the check out counter behind the checker. I sprung around the counter and scooped him up out of the cart so fast, and then some guy grabbed my elbow and said 'Come on!'... and started scooting me over to a wide open area where there wasn't much over head. (HUGE lights and fans were swinging like crazy in there!)

I felt so dumb! I thought I was the biggest idiot in there.. I had tears running down my face, and I was hovering over my child, and shaking. I was paralyzed.. I couldn't move, and in my head I kept telling myself:

'Hold it together, you're alright, please don't let this be the big one, I don't want to be squished here, especially by THAT light or THAT fan. Hold it together for Mason.. he looks scared. Deep breath.. It's stopping... Good, I'm not squished! I'm okay...."

Then I started to look around.. so many people were screaming and RUNNING as fast as they could for the door, completely abandoning their carts. I thought to myself, so I guess I'm not the biggest idiot in here... there are still bigger ones than me. That's a good reality check! So I went back to the check out counter.. did a little small talk with the checker and laughed about how we shared a moment together. (He was as white as a ghost and literally quivering too!) We were both trying to compose ourselves enough to get back to what we had been doing before that little moment. I quickly paid for my items and ran so fast out of that place, never happier to see the sun! =)

Do I want to ride out one of these in Costco again?? NO thank you! It wasn't fun, but I think I made a little progress on one of my big fears today. Yay for me.

As for the next time one hits, I'd like to be in the privacy of my own home where I can have a mini break down all by myself with no spectators present to watch me lose it. THANKS!