Fun Fact #46: Earthquakes and California go hand-in-hand

Today I experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, yet I really didn't think anything of it. Admittedly, it hit LA harder than it hit here but my friends in LA said the worst effect so far has been downed phone lines. I've spent the vast majority of my life in California and earthquakes are just another part of life here. Everyone just kind of assumes that a major earthquake will probably wreck havoc upon California's major cities eventually, but there's not much an individual can do to prepare for it. It's kind of scary when you actually think about it, which I tend to do at inopportune moments such as driving across a bridge...

I was living in Palo Alto during the big 1989 earthquake and, while I remember being afraid, my main memories of it aren't the earthquake itself... One of my most vivid memories involves me being yelled at by mom during the very beginning because I decided, in my infinite wisdom, that I knew how to the handle situation better than she did and figured that hiding under my bed would be the best bet. She eventually dragged me down the stairs but I remember being pretty resentful that she didn't trust my judgment because even back then I always considered myself to be right.

My second memory speaks more about my parents' hippie tendencies than it does the actual earthquake. After the earthquake, the neighborhood moms were going around giving the kids candy to keep calm. My parents didn't really allow us to have any sweets when my sister and I were kids (my first birthday cake was a bran muffin) and getting candy was a massive treat. Therefore, I was unbelievably excited when I was given a single packet of Smarties. In hindsight, the fact that this is one of the most vivid memories (not only of the earthquake but of that whole year) is a tad pathetic...

Today's earthquake was nowhere near the magnitude of the '89 earthquake and, while it was bigger than we've had for awhile, was far more similar to the various small earthquakes that I've become accustomed to. Yet, my lack of reaction still surprises me: It occurred when I was watching a movie and all I did was get up a few minutes after it ended to grab a soda and check on my littlest sister. But my reaction still trumped her response: she never even moved from the couch and continued texting as though nothing has happened. She casually asked me what happened about fifteen minutes after the fact; I've seen far more severe reactions from her when someone so much as threatens to take away her phone.