-
September 11-Behind the Scenes
I walked into the front office of Center Street Elementary School to drop off my daughter’s forgotten lunchbox. “Someone said a plane just crashed into one of the Twin Towers,” one of the ladies said. We all shrugged it off thinking it was fake news. The bright blue sky and crisp September air on Long Island, NY announced the soon arrival of Autumn. I turned the radio as I drove to work as a Court Interpreter at the county District Court. My blood froze when the reporter confirmed it wasn’t fake news. Confusion reigned as people in the courthouse scurried down the hallways, bumping into each other, looking for answers…
-
Rafting Through Life-Are You Ready?
“You won’t believe what happened to him!” my heart skipped a beat when I answered my phone and heard my sister’s voice. “He fell off the raft!” she exclaimed. “The raft hit some rocks and it propelled him and others into the river.” I knew my adventurous nephew went on a white-water rafting trip with a group of friends. “How bad is it?” I asked. “Thankfully he only has a few scratches and bruises,” she explained. “And the guide?” I asked. “I don’t know if they had one,” she responded. I couldn’t wait for him to get out of class to ask him about it. I was curious about the…
-
The Nightmare that turned into a Gift
“Call 911 now!” The command echoed in my ears like in a deep tunnel. What’s happening to me? A wave of pressure constricted my head. Everything in the room spun around. Every muscle in my body became limp as I began to sink in a spiraling hole, like the one from the old tv show, The Twilight Zone. Before I knew it a doctor and several nurses surrounded me, took my blood pressure, pinched my arm for an IV, and wrapped a line of oxygen around my head. “It’s not necessary to call an ambulance. It’s not a big deal.” I managed to mumble. As a medical practice administrator, I…
-
The Day Freedom Came
“I can’t believe I still have a curfew!” I ranted as my younger sisters watched in silence. “I can’t wait to go to college so I can be free! And you know what I’ll do? I’ll watch TV till midnight, I’ll eat pizza and coke for breakfast, and I’ll even skip classes if I want to!” Leaving home for college is nearly every teenager’s dream. Attending university looks like the door that leads to freedom. But for me, leaving home was not what I expected it to be. My mom and I found my freshman dorm and I ran up the stairs to look for my new room- my ticket…
-
The Day I Wanted to Disappear
I’d never seen such a thing. A thick white snowy blanket enveloped the city. The temperature was so low that Lake Michigan had frozen over and appeared to rise above the ground. “Please come with me,” he pleaded. “This is a decision we’re both making!” “But the news says people should not leave their homes unless it’s totally necessary and you know how much I hate the cold!” I responded. My husband had just graduated from medical school and training for a specialty was the next step, which also meant we had to move far away from our country and our families. The third of several interviews for medical residency…
