Werth-It Fundraising Blog

I was there when the earthquake hit. I was in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton. Kent Seton was just wrapping up a presentation on laws affecting nonprofits. Frankly, you have to keep up with this stuff: there are a lot of laws for those of us in the nonprofit world, and you can’t just duck your head and say “Gee, I didn’t know.” I was taking notes; I learned some new things. And then the earthquake hit.

I grew up in earthquake country. This felt like a five-pointer. I hit the floor and went under the table, just like we were taught in school. And then I spent the next 60 seconds as the earth rolled…. looking at everyone’s knees! They all sat there, making comments like, “Kent, this is what God thinks about your talk” and “This isn’t so bad.” Stunning! I was not about to wait for a piece of ceiling to hit me. I don’t care if I look silly. Alive and silly is better than dead and brave.

Here’s the thing about earthquakes: you don’t know if you’re right over it when it’s happening, or if you’re miles away from the epicenter. This one was about 30 miles away and initial estimates ranged from a 5.4 to a 5.8. However, a 5.0 in Los Angeles might mean just a 5.0 in Los Angeles (a few books get knocked off the shelves), or it could be an 8.0 and San Francisco is gone.

I applaud the Beverly Hilton. They were immediately on the loudspeakers saying, “An earthquake has hit the Los Angeles region. Hotel personnel are checking the hotel for safety. Please stay where you are.” They were clearly prepared. That’s good service to their customers.

My takeaway lessons: Don’t be concerned with what other people think. Be prepared. Have a plan in case of emergency. In travel, make sure someone knows where you are and how to reach you, and not just through your cell phone, because if you’re disabled, they won’t be able to call and get you. Text messaging may work when cell calls can’t get through. And Kent Seton gives an earth-shaking presentation!