Did the earth move for you, too?"

The UK had its strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years on Tuesday night. Reports indicate that it was felt over most of the country. The epicentre, which measured 5.2 on the Richter scale, was Market Rasen (or is that "Market Raising"?) in Lincolnshire. We had our own similar brush with Nature's power in Barbados just a few months ago (see previous post). Here is an "eyewitness" account from my daughter, who is living in Nottingham, England, this year

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I felt last night's earthquake. When it happened, I was seated on my bed, discussing with my flat-mate P* the morality of cheating on one's boyfriend. Tremors strong enough to make the bed buck, accompanied by rumbles not unlike thunder, interrupted our conversation. We had just agreed that P* had the right, if not the duty, to pursue her own self-interest even if that meant the end of her long-term relationship in favor of what could be nothing more than a fling. As soon as the tremors stopped, P* looked at me and shrieked, "It's a sign from God!". We screamed like little girls and ran from our flat.

Outside, other people were gathering, including a group of drunk boys. These -ah - "lively lads" had had so much to drink, they had not noticed the earthquake. I'll admit, I was completely dumb-founded. Just how much do you have to drink to not feel an earthquake? Especially one that measured 4.8 on the Richter scale. Although no great natural disaster, this was more than a "hiccup". We were soon joined by another flat-mate, X*, and her boyfriend, T*. T* admitted to giving into temptation and asking the unbelievably corny question - "Did the earth move for you, too?".

Was the earthquake a sign from God? I don't know. I don't feel comfortable thinking of it in those terms, either - it presumes that I even can know (too close to tempting fate). It certainly served as a reminder of the larger world - of the people, things, and ideas outside of my current little bubble in the East Midlands of England. As earthquakes go, this was a fairly minor one. Everyone who felt it can count themselves lucky to have had a brush with Nature, with the added bonus of a new silly party story. It could have been much worse.

Eighteen hours and one massive chewing-out from Dad later, I've had time to imagine some nightmare scenarios. If nothing else, yesterday's tremors were a not so subtle reminder of the inescapable fact of life's uncertainty. The only thing that is certain is that life will end. A depressing thought, but important to remember. An earthquake in a very literal sense serves as a catalyst - it forcibly changes the physical landscape. As a reminder of life's fragility, it will serve as a metaphorical catalyst for me - reminding me to act and live life to its fullest for as long as I'm able to.

Post by Eleanor*

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