This week Central Virginia had it’s largest earthquake in more than 100 years. I grew up on a fault line and moved away from California in part because of the very real threat of serious earthquakes. Sitting here at work and watching the ducts, lights and network lines sway was surreal; I thought to myself “really, this really is how my life works, a major earthquake in the place I moved to get away from the “big earthquake”.”
We could talk about the unusual snow fall of the last few years, but I liked the snow. Yes, there’s been tornado’s and the major lightening storms and those I’ve not been too afraid of, maybe I should be, after all a building a mile away from our apartment burned down after being hit by lightening. I’m just a sucker for the rumbling, boom and crash noises. Tornado watch? Duh, stay indoors, I say.
At this moment we have a hurricane heading our way, Irene will be the first big one hitting the East Coast since I became a resident. We’re not expecting more than a windy rain storm here in my county, even so, when I tried to sign up for Renter’s Insurance this morning Progressive wasn’t issuing policies. Just an hour and a half away they have issued mandatory evacuations – the first since we moved here.
We live in a safe place, we shouldn’t have any problems… so why then, am I freaking the hell out, struggling to hold back a major panic attack?!?! I get that the very nature of a panic attack means that logic is not in play. Panic isn’t rational. I’m writing this post thinking it all through so I can feel better, do something constructive with all this energy.
I understand I have an over-active fight or flight response. There is nothing for me to be freaking out about. Please, can someone make my adrenal gland understand that the real worst case scenario is that I have to take a cold shower on Sunday morning, and, my boyfriend’s* street gets flooded so he “has to” stay with me a few extra days this week?
(sarcasm on) Because, that would be terrible! (sarcasm off)
Okay, now I feel a little bit better.
*He was the one who made sure we have flash lights and canned/dry foods and water in case the power goes out for a few days, because he’s AWESOME.