I can't believe another summer is coming to an end. This one was maybe just a little bit faster, so I am holding on to the last few days. It's a beautiful night and is so peaceful outside.
I was sitting here in the same spot this afternoon with my friends from work. We were having our annual Compass summer get together to prepare for school when the earth started to shake. We all took a few seconds to realize that it was, in fact, an earthquake. I had known that earthquakes occur here, but had never really felt one before. But this seemed different, more powerful, more real than the others that people had described. I watched as my pool shook and small waves formed. The concrete pool deck below my feet felt as if it were moving, and in what direction I was not sure. It was amazing, and I am not sure why, but I sat there relishing the moment, knowing that I was somehow experiencing a wonder of nature. Some of us were scared, some of us thought it was funny, some of us were just purely struck with awe. My dog, more aware of nature than we, stopped, walked over to his bed, and laid down. He stayed there until it was over and then some.
As I sit here tonight in the same place, I am overwhelmed; not with a sense of fear, but with a sense of amazement at the power of nature. That I could actually feel the earth move from 228 miles away is inconceivable, beautiful, daunting, but possible; and proof that the Earth is a vessel full of wonderment and secrets that can hold us in the palm of its maternal hand.
Recently, I have been reading about the creation of the Universe and have wrestled with the infusion of science and spirituality and this event leaves me with a sense of the complexity of the Earth and the Universe. Oh well, enough with the philosophic talk.
I am looking forward to the new school year, new students, new challenges and new successes; and hope the same for all of my colleagues this September.
