After the flooding in Vermont two weeks ago, our town is recovering. Wild Apple was unscathed (except for a torn up parking lot and a few days of no power), but for some families and a few local businesses it is very slow progress. Woodstock has pulled together just the way one would hope and imagine a small town can.
Yesterday's 9/11 coverage reminded me how much the man-made incident a decade ago dwarfed our recent natural disaster. Yet many of the emotions are similar - anxiety, loss, fear, frustration, and the need to reach out to give and receive comfort.
I remember the need to get home right after 9/11. Four of us from Wild Apple were stranded in Chicago where we were attending a printing technology trade show. We couldn't fly, couldn't get a rental car, no trains, so we ended up buying a used minivan and driving all night. Certainly not the most dramatic story, but all of us have our personal memories of that day.
The traumas experienced by our national and local communities demonstrate human resilience, and serve as a reminder not to sweat the small stuff.
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