REFLECTIONS ON THE QUAKE

Originally published Thursday, February 28, 2002

"I work for the Department of Personnel along Capitol Way. However, the day of the quake I was at our other location off Franklin Street on the first floor in a training class. I rode the quake out on my hands and knees under a table alongside my classmates, praying intensely to be spared.

"Since the quake, I regularly experience vivid nightmares of being involved in yet another earthquake. My office has since moved to the third floor of the building off Franklin Street, where I experience daily rumbling of my office floor, frazzling my nerves.

"I don't think I will ever get used to my floor shaking as people pass by my office. I hope someone tells when we have a real earthquake -- I may continue working at my desk!"
-Barb Ursini, Olympia

"Shortly after the July 1999 earthquake, The Olympian did an article on 'The Calculator Guy.' An alert reporter had overheard a conversation on how two of my calculators had fallen from the shelves of my collection of over 400 during that quake.

"In the February 2001 quake, 48 of my 600 calculators ended up on the carpet. But amazingly, none was damaged, and the glass shelves stayed in place. I was in the room at the time the quake started, and I was fascinated to watch all the things falling. I found I couldn't even move to the doorway, as I was transfixed by Mother Nature's performance."
-- Walt Sonnenstuhl, Olympia

"I feel very fortunate that the only thing I lost that day were three of my collectible bells, and not my confidence in my God, who preserved our lives and protected so many from harm and injury.

"I realize that there are some things that are unpredictable in this life. We need to appreciate each day, show our love and concern for those around us and live as though this might be our last day on this earth.

"I think that Sept. 11 had a bigger impact on my life than the earthquake. We take so much for granted in this country. We talk about our losses, and it is nothing compared to the great loss of life in America."
-- Elizabeth Shover, Yelm

"I had just had my appendix out two days prior, and my husband and I had just returned home from the hospital. The first thing I wanted to do was take a shower. No sooner was I in the shower, it felt like I was taking a shower on an ocean. I started yelling for my husband because I thought I was fainting.

"It was a memorable homecoming, and every once in a while I still get that woozy feeling when I'm showering."
-- Deena Smith, Tenino

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The Olympian Copyright 2002

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