A SHAKE TO REMEMBER

The earth shakes and the body remembers a noise, a shattering, a smell.

Events from childhood often remain with us for a lifetime. Just about everyone can remember a scary occurrence from early in one's life.

An earthquake impacted me, the effects of which have endured for a lifetime. Older San Franciscans have posted their impressions of the Daly City Earthquake of March 22, 1957 on Facebook. Years ago, I wanted to see if my memory of this earthquake was correct. I searched old newspapers in the library to find I had remembered accurately.

At almost 12 noon, on March 22, 1957, a significant--but not major--earthquake occurred in San Francisco. The epicenter was just off the coast a few miles south of the city limits. If you lived near the coast or in the southern section of the city, the quake was strong. For San Francisco history buffs, the slight shift in the San Andreas Fault caused some permanent changes to Highway 1, the coastal highway.

Most fascinating to me are the posts by my age peers, 69 years later. During my childhood, I do not remember anybody mentioning the quake after the fact. The posts from today validate the fear I experienced. Many school aged children were scared and remember the distant memory, based on the numerous posts. The quake would not have made national news in those days, so it has remained a bit of local history, like a memorable blizzard.

I remember being the only one in my family who was frightened which may or may not be true. My grandmother somehow knew I had been traumatized. As a result, she took me to Saratoga, California for a spring weekend. I still remember the orchards blooming. I also recall the Filipino waiters dressed in white in the restaurant of the Saratoga Inn. Perhaps this is why I love spring blossoms. For those who do not realize--the area is now the Silicon Valley, filled not with orchards but tech companies. The trip sealed my relationship with my paternal grandmother.

As I remember old memories, I think about the children from generations after 1957 equally scared about natural, local, and world incidents. I believe certain early recollections indelibly imprint on our brains and remain throughout the years. Children who have experienced trauma related to war, dislocation, and loss of a parent are most affected. Young people are resilient but do not forget. When I read about another war or natural disaster, I think to myself about the young children who will remember, for example the Gazan children with indescribable destruction surrounding them or Israeli children spending hours underground. Some individuals forget or recall and move on; some people remain frightened, and a sound or smell will trigger fear; some children relate the traumatic event to something else that was occurring simultaneously, like abuse for example. The possibilities are endless. A moderate earthquake is not equal to war; however, in a child's mind, a less severe situation can be remembered as larger than life, considering a child's development and/or the context in which it occurred.

What do your remember?

©Karen Levi 2026