One thing I can almost certainly say I am sure about, is the ground beneath my feet. As I walk along the cobbles within old parts of Manchester, or stroll leisurely across grassy canal verges, the ground is pretty much solid and still. As I lay in my bed throughout the night, I am secure that the earth below me, is staying put. Or at least I was…..
Last night, I was up late, attempting to write articles on www.helium.com/user/show_articles/335610 , and feeling creative, until my eyes could bear no more of the screen before me, and I decided to head off to bed. Alex had gone up, and the kids were quietly, safely snoozing away peacefully on their bottom bunk.
It was nearing 1am, and despite an urge to fight the heavy eyelids, I caved and headed sleepily up the stairs.
As I was just starting to doze off, I felt tremors. The bed was shaking and creaking and rattling, and my initial thoughts were that Alex was having some kind of weird, violent dream, or had suddenly developed epilepsy!
I stroked his arms and attempted to soothe him by saying “Hey, it’s alright, calm down, calm down”.
Then it stopped altogether, and off I drifted to sleep, thinking no more of it.
I awoke this morning as Alex was getting ready for work, and he announced that there had been an earthquake overnight.
Initially, I thought he meant in LA, or Indonesia somewhere, but when he declared that the epicentre was in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, I was immediately concerned for my mother, who lives very close to that little racecourse town.
Alex said that only 1 reported person had been injured, some bloke from Barnsley whose chimney fell on top of him, and he also said that people had felt the tremors from the 5.2 quake as far as London.
A light went on in my head, and I quickly asked if he knew what time this earthquake had occurred….. “About 1am” he said.
I jumped up and down excitedly, and shouted “I FELT IT! I FELT IT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE HAVING A FIT WHEN I CAME TO BED!”
I don’t know why I was so excited, but Mother Nature fascinates me at times. When I was working in Oklahoma, I was obsessed with tornadoes, and desperate to see one, so I slept with my curtains open every night for 3 months during stormy season.
I never for one moment thought that I would feel an earthquake in my lifetime, but I’m so happy that I did, and obviously very happy that my house and my family are all still intact and safe.
Shinymacage 