A recent experience with the aftermath of an earthquake led to my weighing the comparative values of strength and flexibility.

When we purchased our property on the Caribbean Island of Roatan, Honduras, we debated whether to build our home in concrete or wood. The recommended contractor, a native of Roatan, built island-style homes - only in wood. About the time we completed the two-story structure (which sits on a slope of a protected bay on the Caribbean Sea), we learned that Roatan frequently experiences earth tremors.

Until recent years, visitors to the 30-mile long Caribbean island were primarily SCUBA divers, who were attracted to the pristine coral reefs. For the last several years, though, ex-patriots from the U.S., Canada, and Europe have flocked to Roatan, not only for the world-class SCUBA diving, but also for the real estate value (which is still among the best in the Western Hemisphere). Along with the dollars and euros, these investors brought an appetite for the more expensive concrete construction.

A new bank in the country (HSBC - which stands for Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corporation) decided to diversify and began offering home insurance on Roatan. Concern about how close hurricanes had approached the island in recent years led to their choice to insure only the strong concrete structures, not the weak-appearing island- style wooden homes. Those of us with wooden homes (ses ours below) had to take out policies with a different company.


Sonrisa del Sol
http://www.caribbeanislandgetaway.com/


In late May 2009, an underwater earthquake registering 7.1, rumbled a few miles offshore from Roatan. Friends of ours who lived in a magnificent 2-story concrete home, were jarred from their beds about 3 a.m. We arrived on island a few weeks later; other than finding a few broken glasses and one small crack in the sheetrock, our wooden home remained totally intact. Other wooden structures faced similar "damage."

A reputable insurance broker on Roatan recently explained what happened throughout the island. In his lilting island voice, he chuckled, eyes twinkling: "Yass, HSBC t'ought dey would lose lotsa money on duh wooden homes. W'ot dey din't realize, doh, was dat dese houses juss kinda shimmy wid deh eart'quakes.  Den dey settle right down whur dey wuss before.We jess don' have hardly any claims on duh wooden, island-style homes. Iss doze big ol' concrete houses wot got all duh damages.   But HSBC be plenty busy runnin' claims on doze STRONG concrete homes!"

Would I love one of those big ol' concrete houses? I admit they ARE quite impressive. I've learned, however, that often being FLEXIBLE - rather than STRONG -  serves us best. Nothin' works much better than "rollin' with the punches" when Life sends us a blow to the midsection, a sudden change in our lives, or even when it sends an earthquake that shakes us up.

As far as withstanding hurricanes, it's the oaks - not the willows - that get uprooted! So, how 'bout it? Will we flex with the storms of life? Or is it so important to appear strong that we refuse to be flexible? Sometimes there are reasons to reconsider our long-held policies and outdated ideas to which we have held so long. Perhaps "strong and unyielding" are not the best qualities in all situations. What do you think, HSBC?