20 years ago today-

It's the kind of event that makes you use the stairs instead of the elevator for the rest of your life, not to mention look for the strongest structural point in every building you enter, keep a couple weeks' supply of food and water at home, never travel without an emergency kit, and always have a Plan along with multiple contingencies.

And of course it was yet another event teaching me to trust nothing, not even the earth under my feet.

It was also one of those times where my reaction wasn't correct: i remember sitting in my chair in the classroom, feeling the violent shaking, and enjoying it like what a rollercoaster should be. It was quite fun, and while my instructor and classmates - all with terrified looks on their faces - rushed outside, i followed procedure and ducked under the desk. Mr O'Leary glared at me and yelled "get out!" So much for those drills we practiced; everyone else's training failed them.

My reactions weren't quite on par the rest of the day either. Kids crying, scared wondering what was happening. I remember the wonder, but it didn't seem scary. Figured i was supposed to feel scared, they wanted me to, they expected me to, so i went along with the crowd. Yes, let's pray. Yes, let's speculate. Yes, let's fear what the world looks like outside the school perimeter. Took me quite a few years to learn to ignore what others thought. Hell, people die all the time, and quite often as direct or indirect results of my actions. If i don't care about that, why am i going to care about an event i have no control over?