(no subject)
Wow. Seventeen years ago (give or take about 2 hours), I was standing in my office on the 27th floor of Embarcadero Center, talking to a client in the East Bay. It was sunny and warm, the Giants were getting ready for their playoff game at the stadium formerly known as the stadium formerly known as Candlestick Park, and I was thinking that I would wrap up the phone call and then take my very pregnant (7 months) self off home to rest and spend a nice evening finding out what my sweet 4 year old Allison had done that day. All of a sudden the building began to sway and bump. A vase on the bookcase next to me fell on my head. I dashed into the hall and dove under the secretary desk in front of my office door. The shaking lasted for a long time -- 15, 20 seconds, maybe. The building continued to sway for about 30 seconds after the earth stopped moving, but you could feel the difference. Books had fallen off the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the halls and lobbies -- they had all spilled in a tumble on the floor. People were floating around in a daze. The alarm system was sounding, folks over the loudspeaker telling us all to stay in the building until the fire crew had decleared the stairways safe. Mom and I found each other and promptly started walking down the 27 flights to get to the street. It took us two hours, several repeated trips up and down those 27 flights of stairs, frantic searching for Neil, then for Allison, then to Mom's house which was too wrecked for her to go in, until we got home. We spent the evening at the kitchen table, candleabra burning, doors open, wind splattering red wax every where, as we listened to the battery operated radio. When we got home, it was dark. The next morning we found the back bay of our house had nearly been knocked off its pillar, and was only inches from collapse. In those seventeen years, a lot has happened. Maggie, who missed the earthquake by only a few months, now a junior in high school. My pre-schooler is now in Florida, studying Latin, Greek, and engaged to Jesse, who we love as family. I no longer work in that law firm, but am a partner in another one. Neil has changed jobs and positions, too. We have a boat. Papa has gone. Abba has changed. Helene has aged. Aunt Mary -- bless her! -- remains pretty much a constant! Such a curious measurement of time and change. Today it's just as warm and sunny and glorious as it was that day 17 years ago. But different.