I stayed home from work and school on Tuesday and Wednesday both. I did not want to be in a public place, surrounded by crowds, until I knew it was safe...or as safe as they could guarantee. I sat at home and watched my television day and night, trying to figure out what to do with myself. After hours, I couldn't just sit and watch this national grief and shock anymore, or hear the tragic stories. I had to be doing something to keep myself busy. I had donated what money I could, posted up the emergency numbers on my Website, and gotten the word out there for people to donate. I had done all I could, and now had to wait, for things to get better. I started cleaning my house, still listening to the news. I bleached my floor, vacuumed my living room, cleaned my bathroom, all with the news up full blast.
Thursday I returned to my job, I work for the city. I did not know what to expect from my co- workers. I thought they would be like me, in shock, horrified that this had happened. They were, half of them that is. The other half seemed not to want to bring it up. When it WAS brought up, they either left the room, or completely ignored whomever was talking about it. When I asked another office worker of mine if she knew anyone back East, like I did, she shook her head no and gave me this look as if to say, "Nope, didn't effect me,” and blew me off. This was after she went the first hour of the day without speaking to me because I had missed two days of work.
The day went on, split in two. Half of the office completely ignoring that anything had happened and acting as if everything was normal, and the other half of the office fiercely patriotic and talking about the situation. I didn’t go out of my way to bring it up, but I didn’t resign from talking about it if someone else did. It was very strange. I came home, almost miffed that half of my co-workers could be so non-chalant about the entire thing. That night the local news
