Earthquake

I often wondered how I would react to a earthquake.  On August 23rd I got to see for myself. It wasn't while I was travelling in California as I often thought it would be, but here in Baltimore at work.  I was just finishing up a presentation I was giving to my colleagues and we were getting up to leave the conference room.  I felt a rumble, like a truck going by, but it didn't stop.  They say it was less than a minute, but it seemed to go on for ever.  As it continued it grew in intensity and at the end there was significant pulses.  We were confused and theorizing on the cause.  Soon it was clear it was an earthquake, but few people at my job had ever experienced one.  Someone directed us outside, but it was over at that time.  It was funny because I grabbed my coffee cup and some insignificant papers that were in front of me.  The coffee wasn't warm and it was the last thing I needed after this nerve racking experience.  The worst part was I was happy I was in an earthquake, but tempered by the nervous reaction of others.  One coworker grabbed his bags and ran out like the place was one fire.  One lady I was with thought this might be the end and said in all seriousness that she didn't want to share her last moments on earth with us.  She was very scared and after it subsided gave me a unsolicited hug, which I hoped comforted her, but I thought yeah thanks for scaring me.  Anyway after it was said and done I seriously needed to calm down and went looking for a cigarette (even though I don't smoke, well sometimes cigars...).  After looking back having the ground shake under your feet and sway buildings was quite unsettling and served to remind me of the power of nature.  It is often forgotten, in the day to day hectic lives we lead, that we aren't in control of everything that goes on.  Stronger forces are at work.  And as if that wasn't reminder enough a Hurricane is predicted for the weekend.