Expect the Unexpected

9 Expect the Unexpected I used to live in a beautiful house. The view was incredible. You could see for milcs out over the occan. Ships, surfers, and sailboats passed in front of our window every day. My father built the house 50 years ago. At the time, it was considered very unusual because it hung over a cliff and faced the ocean. It was supported by large metal beams that hung over the water. He was told by many experts, “ Don't build your house like that. It will fall in an earth- quake. " Over the years, we had many earthquakes. Some were big, but most were small. One time, an earthquake actually cracked one of the supports that held up the house. But it didn't fall. My dad was a good designer, and for over 50 years his house never moved, while others fell. But even his good design could not protect us from what was coming one hot summer.

The winds had been hot and dry that summer. One day, there was a loud knock on the door. It was a policeman. He said that we had been ordered out of our home. There was a huge forest fire only a few hours away. We were told to take everything we wanted and evacuate immediately. That's a very hard situation to be in. Imagine you have only enough room in your car to take a few of your things. It's not easy for sure. We got our stuff and headed out. The next day we were allowed back. It was the hardest day of my life. Our house was gone. I approached my dad, and he was smiling with a tear in his eye. “ Look, " he said. I looked over to where he was pointing and the only things remaining were those metal supports hanging over the water. In that moment, I understood what an amazing man my father was.