Tramatic Disasters And Their Affects

The day started like any other day. At school in the middle of basketball practice, I had just made my layup. Then I felt something out of place. At first I couldn't put my finger on it, then I knew. The ground was shaking. Slowly, the ground started moving more, until the basketball court was violently shuddering and creaking under my feet. Earthquake.

Anyone who's ever been in an earthquake or survived an air raid knows the fear that wraps around your gut and snakes its way up your spine. For one minute life as you knew it ceases to exist. What happens to your life after that one long minute depends on a million factors. Whether you were late for that meeting on the 20th floor, happened to be underground, whether your family was on vacation or whether someone decided to go turn the lights on, suddenly has grave consequences.

Survivors of earthquakes and explosions often reenact that horrible day and wonder what could have happened if they'd done things a little differently. They wonder what would be if they'd just gotten out of bed on time that day or if things had gone differently if their sibling would still be alive. They also develop an uncanny ability to detect movement or abnormal noises.

After the earthquake my family survived, my brother was deeply scared. Anytime someone bumped his bed, or shook the table on accident he'd look up with scared wide eyes wondering if the new earthquake would take his life. People that have suffered through an earthquake or survived the blast of a bomb, know what I'm talking about. Menial things can send shafts of fear through you. A firework going off sounds like a bomb, and a light swaying next to a fan makes you think an earthquake is hitting.

Earthquakes and bombs can't really be avoided. The best we can do is know the closest exit or the safest place to hide. There are some things in life that can be prevented though. The safety of your home is one of those things. Making sure your home has a security system is important. While you still can't stop an earthquake, or redirect a bomb, at least you can know you're safe from other harm.