Fuel for Thought

Busy few days!

It’s been a busy few days for me.   I’ve ran to Detroit twice, and then over to Big Rapids, MI. Seems business is finally picking up for our industry.   Wednesday night, I picked up in a small plant near Columbus, OH.   I really don’t understand how the people work there. I worked in a factory many years ago, but conditions were good compared to this place. The product they manufactured involved fibrous material that was run thru machines and cut into various shapes.   As I walked in the door, another driver was blinking and shaking his head as he headed out to get air.   I quickly learned why he was doing it as the air appeared to be filled with smoke.   I quickly realized it was tiny bits of fiber, like grey dust, floating in the air. Everything around was coated with it.. machinery, walls, the floors, even the fax machine was covered.   Meanwhile, all the people in the plant were walking around with no respirators, or masks on… acting like they didn’t even notice.   I couldn’t stay in the area more than a few minutes without ducking back outside to get air… how would you get use to working in that stuff?   I really felt sorry for the people who worked there… it was hot, humid, and that powder was clinging to everything.   It made me very grateful for a job where I can get out and run in the fresh air.   I was very glad to get that load and go.

This year marks the 8th anniversary of 9/11… as I drove another run to Detroit and then later, ran over to Big Rapids, the events of that day played in my head. I still remember exactly what I was doing when I heard.   I remember as a child, thinking “how come all the adults talk about Pearl Harbor, or  President Kennedy’s assassination in such detail… how can they remember?” Now I understand.   I will never forget.  That morning, I was on my way to work at an office in Columbus. On the way there, I blew a tire and nearly wrecked. Shook up from the incident, and with only an emergency ‘donut’ spare, I just decided to take a personal day, go get a new tire, and just relax.   I drove in town to the tire shop, and when I got there, the manager told me someone crashed two planes into the World Trade Center… it sounded like a movie plot.   How could this happen?  I got the tire fixed and went home, and like many, spent the day in front of the TV in shock… knowing our world had forever changed. I watched as they told something had happened at the Pentagon. They said a plane had also crashed in PA, but didn’t have details as to why.   I watched as for the first time ever, the skies over America cleared.

In the days to come, I saw America change.   I saw people of all different races and religions become “Americans”… united against a common enemy who would dare strike at our heart. I saw a passion, and a determination to show the world we would not be intimidated. Now, 8 years later, so many seem to have forgotten that day. It’s politics as usual… but some of us will never forget.