Comments on: The daily fear http://buildingmywings.com/2009/10/17/the-daily-fear/ "You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down." - Ray Bradbury Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:02:04 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Patrick DiJusto http://buildingmywings.com/2009/10/17/the-daily-fear/#comment-50 Patrick DiJusto Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:45:05 +0000 http://buildingmywings.com/?p=192#comment-50 I was in the library in White Plains New York when I suddenly *knew* that the building was going to collapse around me. It wasn't a panic attack -- I didn't have an increased heartrate, or even any feelings of anxiety. I just knew that the building was coming down and I had to get outside. Odd feeling. I closed my eyes and had a daydream of a huge bridge twisting and swaying like that old footage of the Tacoma Narrows bridge. Now what the hell was this? Now a bridge was collapsing too? Get out! Get out! Get OUT! I dropped my library books and walked outside. Ok, now what? I looked at one of the huge plate glass windows store windows, and in my mind's eye I saw it shatter, sending a million pieces of glass flying toward me. Somewhere, far off, people were shouting. Now I was getting nervous. Is this what it's like to suddenly lose your mind? Was I always going to feel this way? And then it stopped. I was fine. No more shouting, no more images, no more worries. I took a deep breath and got into my car. I don't remember what song was on the radio, but I do remember that after a minute or so the DJ interrupted to announce that there had apparently been an earthquake in San Francisco, just as the World Series was about to start. I burst out in tears of relief -- at least the warning and images and voices I experienced had some *point* to them. Five years later, I'm lying in bed in San Fransisco with Tiffany Ann Kinney (remember her?) when the ground gives a little hiccup. I instantly don't like it. She says that was nothing, just a little tremor. Now the '89 quake, that was something -- she had been working in a FedEx shop, and at the height of the quake the store's plate glass window shattered inward, sending a million pieces of glass flying toward her. I was in the library in White Plains New York when I suddenly *knew* that the building was going to collapse around me. It wasn’t a panic attack — I didn’t have an increased heartrate, or even any feelings of anxiety. I just knew that the building was coming down and I had to get outside. Odd feeling.

I closed my eyes and had a daydream of a huge bridge twisting and swaying like that old footage of the Tacoma Narrows bridge. Now what the hell was this? Now a bridge was collapsing too? Get out! Get out! Get OUT!

I dropped my library books and walked outside. Ok, now what? I looked at one of the huge plate glass windows store windows, and in my mind’s eye I saw it shatter, sending a million pieces of glass flying toward me. Somewhere, far off, people were shouting. Now I was getting nervous. Is this what it’s like to suddenly lose your mind? Was I always going to feel this way?

And then it stopped. I was fine. No more shouting, no more images, no more worries. I took a deep breath and got into my car. I don’t remember what song was on the radio, but I do remember that after a minute or so the DJ interrupted to announce that there had apparently been an earthquake in San Francisco, just as the World Series was about to start. I burst out in tears of relief — at least the warning and images and voices I experienced had some *point* to them.

Five years later, I’m lying in bed in San Fransisco with Tiffany Ann Kinney (remember her?) when the ground gives a little hiccup. I instantly don’t like it. She says that was nothing, just a little tremor. Now the ‘89 quake, that was something — she had been working in a FedEx shop, and at the height of the quake the store’s plate glass window shattered inward, sending a million pieces of glass flying toward her.

]]> By: Robyn Miller http://buildingmywings.com/2009/10/17/the-daily-fear/#comment-49 Robyn Miller Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:49:07 +0000 http://buildingmywings.com/?p=192#comment-49 I remember that quake...and your friend in Gilroy. My brief contract in SF was framed by minor tremors: 1 the day of my phone interview, which is why they were all late, as the train tracks had to be checked. Then a week after I left, just 4 months later, another occurred. I didn't get to experience a 'real sized' quake until April of last year, right here in Indiana, a 5.2 out of Illinois that woke me up just a few minutes before my alarm went off, making all the cabinet doors in the house waver and slam. Made me remember what didn't sound so exciting about taking a permanent offer out there... I have no desire to experience that, or worse, again. Call me a wimp. I remember that quake…and your friend in Gilroy.

My brief contract in SF was framed by minor tremors: 1 the day of my phone interview, which is why they were all late, as the train tracks had to be checked. Then a week after I left, just 4 months later, another occurred.
I didn’t get to experience a ‘real sized’ quake until April of last year, right here in Indiana, a 5.2 out of Illinois that woke me up just a few minutes before my alarm went off, making all the cabinet doors in the house waver and slam. Made me remember what didn’t sound so exciting about taking a permanent offer out there… I have no desire to experience that, or worse, again. Call me a wimp.

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