SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL

A little before eight o'clock yesterday morning, I was sitting at the computer, doing some work. when I felt the building shake.

We live on the sixth floor of a very nice building. From my front window I can see the Malka Mall and beyond that the nighbourhood of Gilo. The famous Gilo where terrorists shot at the people daily during the last intifada. Because there is a valley between Gilo and my apartment the acoustics are perfect for hearing every little noise. So, today I can recognize the sound of automatic weapons being fired, tanks shooting, missiles being fired, and just plain fireworks going off to celebrate someone’s wedding. A talent I didn’t have while growing up in Windsor, Ontario.

Now where was I? Oh, yes. At the computer. The building began to shake.

My husband ran out of the living room and asked, “Did you feel that?”

Of course I did. And for any of you who have never ‘felt the earth move under your feet’, I can assure you it’s not a great feeling. For those few seconds you freeze in place and all your senses are highly tuned into ‘fight of flight’ mode. Usually, by the time you figure out what to do, it’s over. But you never forget it.

I remember the first time. You never forget your first time.

The kids were little and everyone was still asleep. I got up early and was in the bathroom when all of a sudden I began to shake all over.

EPILEPSY!!! I thought…I’m having an epileptic seizure!!! What else could it be? It never occurred to me that it was an earthquake. I’d never experienced an earthquake. In Windsor we had occasional tornados but never an earthquake.

Epilepsy!

I got up and walked into the living room where I saw the piano bench moving along the floor and the light fixture swaying from the ceiling. That ain’t epilepsy I thought and realized what had just happened. See, I’m a college graduate and considered to be rather bright. Yah right!!!

OK LORD. I get it. A little warning from on high? Fire and brimstone on the way?

Every morning I say tehilim, psalms. A long story which I will probably tell you another time. But I really feel good with my tehilim. My meditation time with G-d.

So, I took out my book of psalms, sat in my rocking chair that my husband bought me 33 years ago when our oldest was born and davened.

4.3 on the Richter Scale. An eensy weensy teensy earthquake. But we are sitting on some kakamaymee fault and I was really hoping that YOUKNOWWHO would forget all about that. Silly me. He never sleeps and He never forgets. And in these days before the High Holy Days, He’s making a list. He doesn’t have to check it twice because he’s YOUKNOWWHO and not HOHOHO.

In the meantime, just in case you thought I was getting boring, we had an earthquake folks.

Have a great day…stay safe…and thanks for dropping in.