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Sometimes I think God has a sense of humor. Sometimes I don’t.

So, yesterday I’m sitting in my home office, at my computer, stalled by writer’s block. Soft music is playing in the background and I am half-heartedly praying for something exciting to write about for my next blog post. Then, the strangest thing happens. The monitor and the wall directly behind it start swaying from side-to-side. I immediately uncross my arms, sit straight up in my chair and stare wide-eyed at the scene in front of me. While craning forward, I slowly stretch my arm toward the wall, preparing to touch it to see if I am actually seeing what I think I am seeing. But then the whole table begins to shake and I become aware of a loud humming sound like my noisy air conditioner makes when it’s running; only the humidity is low and the AC is turned off. The scene is so surreal that I think I am either dreaming or having a stroke.

I sit there briefly; in awe of the situation, wondering what is happening and asking myself what should I do. In a light bulb flash it dawns on me. This is no dream, nor a stroke. It’s an earthquake. Instinct answers my question – Ruuuun!!!

Not yet ready for a halleluiah come to Jesus meeting, I jump straight up out of my chair and in a nanosecond swoop my wallet, cell phone and keys off the table, then sprint across the room, through the hallway and out the front door. At the precise moment that I arrive outside the earth stops shaking, but my body doesn’t. Panting like a geriatric cheetah, I bend forward, place both hands on my knees and take deep breaths in an effort to calm my nerves.

At the same time, some of my neighbors rush outside looking just as frightened. For about 20 minutes or so, we stand around sharing our experiences of what we thought was happening when the earth shook and wondering if it is safe to go back indoors. All the while we are complaining about how we cannot get a signal on our cell phone.

This was not my first experience with an earthquake, but I sure hope it was my last. In the meantime, meteorologists are warning people living on the East Coast to prepare for Hurricane Irene.

I’ve decided that I will no longer pray for inspiration when I am having writer’s block. I know that in time the words will come. Meanwhile, I’ll just keep reminding myself of that old adage “Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.”

Play now. Pay later. Take stock of your future — think retirement.

Don’t wait until you are middle-age to think about your old age. I know it is easy for you children of Generation Xers to think that you are a zillion years away from social security. Social security or retirement savings are phrases that you’ve probably heard tossed around by your parents and grandparents. But if you are a forward-thinking youth and have been paying attention to the reports about social security, then you know that it is a shallow well – expected to run dry by 2036 – and may not be there when your time comes to drink from it.

Grandchilden of Bill Gates, the Kardashians, or Russell Simmons may have no worries about their retirement years. Chances are they could be enjoying a super rich lifestyle long after receiving the invitation from AARP. Even if their wealthy predecessors have deceased and unless they did something horrible enough to get disinherited collecting social security won’t be on their bucket list.

This message is not intended for the youth who by fortune, fame or birthright need not worry about spending their golden years doing anything less than being kicked back in a luxury home or sitting by the pool in a Palm Springs retirement community. But if you are one of the millions of upcoming disadvantaged youths now of legal working age, living in a paycheck-to-paycheck family or maybe even living independently, but are still in a tedious situation, you need to prepare now to avoid struggling later to keep afloat in the sea of geriatric destitution.