What If

Looking at the news today, I came across this article, Feds: Mass man planned to blow up Capitol, and was reminded of another difference between living and working in DC vs. living in St. Louis. 

After 9/11, everything changed--not just in DC.  But in DC, the mindset was different.  In the 10 years since 9/11, DC became accustomed to increased security--the jersey barriers that were there in the days and weeks after 9/11 were replaced with permanent, more "attractive" barriers.  It became the norm to hear about buildings/areas being evacuated because of a "suspicious" package, or alerts when a plane veered into restricted airspace. DC is used to, if that's possible, being a place that is a target.

But, life has to go on.  You adapt and adjust to the "new normal."  Pre-9/11, I was able to take my nightly walk up and around, and all over the Capitol building--right up the steps and around the building if I was so inclined.  No more.  Capitol Hill police and barriers prevent that now.  The "new normal" also involves a nagging thought--what if something happens again?  What if?

Mostly, I didn't dwell on the what if's.  Mostly.  Because you can't be paralyzed by fear.  You have to keep living.  Then I had my sons.  I wasn't working on Capitol Hill like I was on 9/11, but I was in Downtown DC.  And my boys were in pre-school across the river in Arlington.  What if something happened and I needed to get to them?  The what if's didn't cross my mind often, but it didn't take long to have a contingency plan formed in the back of my mind in case they materialized. 

If something happened, I knew that getting in the car and driving across the bridge to get to my boys wasn't going to be an option.  DC traffic on a good day is a mess.  The Metro probably wouldn't have been an option either.  So, I come to the conclusion that if something devastating happened and I needed to get to my boys, #1, nothing was going to get in my way; and #2, I would have to walk (or run).  So I was prepared to grab a pair of comfy shoes (from the 8-9 pairs I had under my desk) and hit the road through Georgetown, across the Key Bridge, and up Wilson Blvd. to my boys. It would have been about 3 miles, and walking/running would have been a lot faster than trying to drive.

Thankfully, those what if's haven't materialized.  And I'm grateful for that.  And I pray that for my friends and family that still live and work in DC that they never materialize (especially for my sister who works on the Hill).  As I sat in my office today I realized that the what if's aren't as significant here.  Granted, you never know when or where anything devastating is going to happen.  But I feel a whole lot better knowing that the what if's are quieter here.