"/>
Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -
This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!
I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.
1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)
2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!
This Week's prompt: Devastation or displacement
The post I had scheduled for today has been postponed. In light of the horrific devastation Hurricane Sandy has left in her wake I decided to change today's ponder to: Devastation or Displacement
Have you ever been displaced or experienced devestation as we have been seeing in the past few days?
I have to admit that the idea of living through a hurricane absolutely terrifies me and I don't know how y'all withstand hurricanes and tornadoes. But living in Southern California I do have to say there are three specific mornings that stand out in my mind greater than any other.
February 9, 1971
October 1, 1987
January 17, 1994
February 9, 1971 is know as the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. I took place at 6:01 AM. I will NEVER forget the experience of being woken up by that movment to scoot imnmediately into the safety of my doorjamb. It was 9 days before my eleventh birthday. My mother had recently remarried and life was a major rollercoaster. That morning put everything into perspective as my mother raced through the house to make sure each and every one of us was okay.
Fast forward 16 years and I am living in Santa Barbara when the Whittier Narrows earthquake hit at 7:42 AM. My parents were in the direct line of 'fire' and had mutliple items fly through their home. I was one hundred miles away....safely out of harms' way... but the fear was still there.
On January 17, 1994 The Northridge Quake hit at 4:30 AM. I was living in a house with a plate glass window and I was sure it was going to come crashing down. The only thing that ran through my panicked mind was "I am so glad my children are with their father in Santa Barbara and are out of harms' way." What I didn't know at the time was that I had relatives whose homes were knocked off of their foundations, fire hydrants flooding their living rooms and cars destroyed.
I suppose the very fact that hurricanes and tornadoes can be tracked and 'semi' predicted makes it so that they are more 'tolerable.' Earthquakes come without warning and then end up being the gift that keeps on giving.... with after shocks that are sometimes more devestating than the original quake.
My heart goes out to all the victims of Sandy and I do hope that my blogging community of friends and family has remained unscathed.
I'd love it if you left a comment, or wrote a post and linked up... or better yet.... Both!
Happy Pondering
We lived in Oceanside when the Northridge quake hit. Woke us and our then 9 y/o daughter up, her 6 y/o brother slept through it all. It just seemed to go on FOREVER.
ReplyDeleteI know lots of people here have experienced the devastation of wildfires destroying rows and rows and rows of houses. However it happens, fires, floods, hurricaines, tornados, earthquakes, etc., it must be so hard to pick yourself up afterwards and move forward and try to rebuild.
betty
I completely agree with you Betty....I suppose what doesn't break us makes us stronger. The ones I don't get are the ones on the ocean who lose parts of their home every year and still rebuild.
DeleteBEING A CALIFORNIA GIRL I HAVE NOT HAD TO EXPERIENCE ANY MAJOR EARTHQUAKES JUST SMALL ONES. MY DEVASTATION HAS BEEN THEFT. I WORRY ABOUT WOLD FIRES NOW BECAUSE OF WHERE WE MOVED THE SMOKE FROM THE FIRES HAS HAD US PUT RELATIVES UP FOR DAYS BECAUSE OF AIR QUALITY FROM FIRES BUT THANK THE LORD NO MAJOR LOSS.
ReplyDeleteTHIS WAS A GREAT PROMPT AND I AM SENDING PRAYERS OUT FOR ALL OUR EAST COAST BLOG PALS AS WELL :)
I completely forgot about the fires that destroy around here too....
Deletelucky you being a Cali girl with no real rocking in your past!
Hi. I tried writing an article on devastation myself. I have experienced a number of big earthquakes and I never get used to them.
ReplyDeleteMy prayers are with the people affected by the hurricane.
thanks Romi.... glad you joined PWP this week~
DeleteI have never experienced an earthquake and hope that I never do.
ReplyDeleteOH but I'm sure you've experienced other things!
DeleteThankfully, I've never experienced a natural disaster of the scale you write about. Your family certainly has had more than it's share! I do remember waking up early one morning while living in a tall apt bld in Germany and feeling the bed shake, my husband was sure I'd dreamed it, until we went in to the Army base and everyone was talking about the small earthquake. I can't begin to imagine what it is like to lose most or all of your belongings, house and far worse, loved ones in a catastrophe. I think it would take a long time to overcome the shock, dispair, and even anger. Life teaches us resilence for sure!
ReplyDeleteAgree with your last statement... they do say that what won't break us makes us stronger!
DeleteWow! Can't believe I forgot to link up.
ReplyDeletelol... I knew you did a post!!!
DeleteOnce again, thanks for hosting. You also always pick the best topics!
ReplyDeletethanks Wayne... I try!
DeleteI experienced one earthquake, at least I realized I experienced one earthquake... a couple years ago. It was very low magnitude, around 3 something, and I was sitting in my car at a stop light and it felt kind of like a wave. I'm sure the ones you experienced were much worse than that though!!
ReplyDeleteDriving while an earthquake happens is very odd... it looks like the road turns intos a wave.... good thing it didn't open up!
DeleteHow interesting that you picked this topic for the week, Brenda... I thought about doing this for Friendship Friday myself!
ReplyDeleteI have experienced a few major hurricanes, a few major blizzards and several minor earthquakes. I have been fortunate that I was not displaced during any of these events... but I have been without heat and electricity and stranded as a result.
During the blizzards, the snow was piled so high we could not get out of the house (it came down too fast too shovel... which was not good, considering we had a dog at the time...) and during one of the hurricanes, parts of the town I lived in were up to 6 feet under water and a huge tree fell on our house right outside my bedroom window.
I am from the affected areas and my heart goes out to everyone there!
Have a great weekend Brenda.
I know how freaked out I get when we lose power for a few hours.. I cannot even begin to IMAGINE how these people are doing it for days!
Delete