A collection of testimonals, letters worth reading

Under the category of testimonials, here’s a letter my sister wrote

 

Dear (everyone she cares about),

Jim Berkland is a personal friend of my brother and part of the reason that he was called “Dr. EQ” while in Chiropractic college.

Mr. Berkland taught him how to predict earthquakes. My brother in turn predicted about ten earthquakes (large and small) per year. [I calculated my success rate as about 90% over a three-year period] Hence the name, “Dr. E.Q.”

The first time Dr. EQ called a big one, we all blew him off. He kept telling us to “be prepared” and we basically said, “shut up, you’re freaking us out.” I think he was only one day off for a 6.something that hit San Fernando Valley and found me standing in an alley behind my apartment, unprepared, naked (wrapped in my comforter), trembling, standing under power lines in the company of our sweet Mexican landscapers. To this day I take anything Mr. Berkland and Dr. EQ say quite seriously. They are not always right (Thank you GOD!).

It has been my experience, however, that their warnings are correct enough to warrant our attention. The reason I’m sending this out is not to be a “fear monger” yet rather out of conscience. I would feel really bad if they were right and I’d not said something to my loved ones, given the track records that I’ve seen.

So hey, what harm in packing a “Go Bag” this weekend? The best that could happen is nothing. What would you wish you had, if you couldn’t get to your stuff for a week or a month? Contact lens solution, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, clean underwear, extra clothes, a credit card, [cash, meds, extra glasses – DrEQ] shoes, a pair of magnifiers, food, water [water filter – DrEQ], extra car keys, a blanket, pillow and towel?

What would you want to camp out comfortably? No guarantee you could get to it, yet why not have a second set of supplies in your car or another location? [backpack for each in the car – DrEQ] A radio, a flashlight, a warm coat  [hiking boots or shoes, maps- DrEQ].

Do you know where your family should meet if communications were out? (Ours is the field across from the Fire Station. It’s a big field with no trees, higher elevation and duh, across from EMT guys and a helicopter pad. Do you know the safest place to stand in your house (away from glass)?

Often in a major quake you can call out of state yet not in state. I’ve experienced this. [Also, when cell frequencies are overloaded and when calls cannot get through, often text messages can.] Please have an out of state contact person. Mine is Angela B… (808) 887-xxxx. Please enter this into your phone now and write it down somewhere in case your cell phone doesn’t work. [Plan to create and check Facebook &/or a Yahoo Groups page for family updates – DrEQ]

Think. Plan. This is not paranoia. This falls under the category of “what have you got to gain and what have you got to lose?”

I recently reread a letter from my late friend Dan who survived the “Northridge Quake.” It was quite enlightening. He said, “I awoke in mid air, arm and legs flailing, screaming at the top of my lungs…then he went for is slippers which were filled with glass, he  [felt around for his glasses in the dark, then… – DrEQ] ran outside, not realizing his mobile home had shifted off its foundation only to find no stairs and took a 5-foot fall. He stood up and saw his neighbors home on fire, went for the hose…no water. Ran to shut off his gas line, yet the wrench that he had consciously kept right by the gas tank was nowhere to be found because he’s not tied it to the gas tank. You get my drift.

Think it out today. Don’t be fearful, be smart. The best that could happen is nothing. The second best is that you’d have been prepared and made a bad situation tolerable, enabling you to help others who were less prepared.

Google Jim Berkland. He’s no joke.

Fail to plan, or plan to fail.

There are no victims, only volunteers.

In spite of these predictions, my daughter and I are still going about our lives and following our plans that have her traveling from Bainbridge, WA to Bellingham and then down to L.A. Yikes!

Please humor me and know my out of state contact as well as taking precautions yourself.

It’s not like any of this is “far-fetched.” In the 80’s I shared dinner with the guy who was in charge of emergency services for the state of California under Governor Brown. He confided in us only because we’d attended the same commune in our “Hippie Daze.” He told us confidentially at dinner that …

  1. If the “big one” hits California…there is no help
  2. Watch TV and when you see three PSAs [Public Service Announcements – DrEQ] a day rather than one a month, for earthquake preparedness, pay attention because there is more known than is being let on
  3. He said that when Jim Berkland talks…listen.

Then he laughed and said, “See you on the freeway!”

Seriously,

Andrea

 

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