I’m originally from Maryland, but I’ve lived in Virginia for the past 17 years.  I’m in shock that there was a significant earthquake there today.  There was, a couple of years ago, a very small one in Maryland that a lot of people in my area felt.  I was awake, rocking Benjamin to sleep, and missed it entirely.  From what I understand, this was not something likely to be missed or mistaken for something else.

Now that I’ve made contact with my entire family (either directly, or through someone else) and I know that they’re safe, my mind is splitting in two different directions.  The first is shock and concern.  Hearing that there was a 6-ish earthquake in Virginia is a little like hearing that all the animals escaped from the zoo and took a stroll down main street:  both are, obviously, possible, but not something you really ever expect to see.  Virginians don’t expect to see earthquakes, let alone strong ones, so I worry that construction isn’t up to it.  I hope that injuries are minimal and few.

The second part of me is jealous.  (Yes, jealous.)  It’s not so much that I have I never felt an earthquake, but that I just missed out on a shared experience for the rest of my family and friends.  In the sense of common memory, I just became an “other”.  “Remember that earthquake?”  No, I was in Austria.  I’m a “Virginia Earthquake” outsider.  I feel like I missed out.