Thank God My Car Was Smashed, Not Me

A tank destroyed my rear end this week. I’m grateful that it was my automobile’s and not my own posterior.

I didn’t see that at first. My initial reaction was a lot of effin’ this ’n’ thatness when the young lady in the souped-up Suburban plowed into us at full street speed, having failed to notice the cars ahead were stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk. Her apologies seemed inadequate to my shocked and whiplashed self as I confronted our seriously wounded beautiful car.

Afterward the 12-Step training kicked into gear and waged a rousing battle with resentment, armed with those formidable “Thank God” weapons. It’s not a walk in the park to be grateful in the face of crap, but it’s doable. Thank God for insurance on both automobiles, for no serious injuries, for credit cards and car rentals and trustworthy auto-body specialists owned by AA friends.

We’re off now to spend Thanksgiving amid the blessings of family, friends, and our old AA home group. A study of gratitude made the news today, finding that gratitude is good for the brain and the body’s well-being. Alcoholics Anonymous has preached that for 75 years. May you swim in thanksgiving, no matter what adversity you face.

"Every decision I make is a choice between a grievance and a miracle. I relinquish all regrets, grievances and resentments, and I chose the miracle."

(Deepak Chopra, “The Soul of Healing Meditation”)

I Have Rocks in My Head

I’m weary of writing. I did my piece on earthquakes, then had to cut a third of it out to meet my word limitation. There’s a great deal of interesting stuff about earthquakes out there, and I enjoyed learning all I could, but I have too much plate tectonics in my head to think.

So here’s a little haiku for your pleasure:

Earth rattle and roll
tremors and ruptures galore
it is not my fault
~~~~~

(Hours later...) Now that I’ve had some sleep, I want to offer a word of warning.
Like Chile in South America, the West Coast of the North American continent sits on the “Ring of Fire,” shaped like an upside-down horseshoe around the Pacific Ocean. Eighty percent of the world’s monster earthquakes happen here.
The last time the West was shaken by a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 8 or 9 was more than 300 years ago, when an estimated 9.0 struck somewhere between northern California and British Columbia. Elsewhere on the Ring of Fire, giants happen with some regularity: 15 times in the past 100 years.
They appear to happen in clusters, with a 50-year cycle. In the last cycle, from 1950 and 1965, seven great quakes between 8.5 and 9.5 hit the Rim of Fire.
The recent cycle of Big Ones began in 2004, with three in Indonesia and one in Chile. Seismologists say the entire West Coast region may be overdue.

For my friends who live in the area, do a couple of simple things. Keep shoes, flashlight, and some kind of clothing beside your bed. Keep a stash of ready cash (ATMs won’t work). Put canned food, medical supplies, flashlights, battery-powered radio, water, and other necessities in a waterproof bin where you can get to it quickly. Keep a kit and sturdy shoes in your car.
At home and work, check out the safe places, under sturdy furniture, a clear hallway or against an interior wall, and the danger zones, windows, tall furniture, kitchen cabinets and large hanging objects. If an earthquake hits: DROP to the floor in the safest place, COVER your head, and HOLD ON.
Check out more earthquake preparedness info at here or here.

My hubby and I have done these things since going through a major quake in 1994. I don’t live in fear, but I live in earthquake country and precautions are wise.