EARTHQUAKE!!!

I was in San Jose, Costa Rica at the airport, awaiting my flight back to the US when it hit. At first I thought a plane had crashed into another part of the airport, but within 2-3 seconds, I realized I was experiencing a humdinger of an earthquake. The whole building banged a couple times, as if someone had tossed us and we were bouncing to a stop.

It is quite a sensation - wondering if it will continue, if it will get worse, if those big speakers on the column above you will come down, if you'll spend all night at the airport, if you'll be a statistic on the evening news! As it turned out, things returned to normal at the airport within a couple hours. Whew, it passed.

But did it? As the reports trickled in over the past couple days, it is clear this was a life-changing event for hundreds and a life-ending event for several. Many homes were destroyed, some roads are still blocked by landslides and there are still people who are stranded.

I realized how much I tend to judge an event by how much it affects ME. All is back to normal. Thank you God for protecting ME. Glad I didn't miss MY flight. In fact, if I hadn't just been to Costa Rica, would I have even known it happened or, if I saw the news item, would I have paid any attention? No conclusions here - just a reminder of how life can be dramatically changed in an instant. And a reminder of how self-centered people are at their core.