On March 28, 1979, my mother crouched low, gripped my shoulders, and told me this: ?If they evacuate today, they?ll take you to the State Farm Building. There will be lots of kids there, because all the children in Harrisburg will be taken to the same place. Don?t be afraid. Keep your eyes on your teacher, and never leave her or let her get too far from you. You?ll probably have a partner, like on a field trip. Hold your partner?s hand, tight. Don?t let go for a moment. Don?t wander away. And don?t be scared. No matter what, I?ll be there. I?ll be coming. Don?t worry. Mamma will get to you.?

Then she hugged me close.

I nodded, said nothing more than our usual goodbyes, grabbed my book bag and my red Tupperware lunchbox, and walked to the bus stop. There, all the kids in my neighborhood were subdued. The quiet was deafening. Everyone?s mother, it seemed, had told them something meant to inspire calm but that had, by the sheer act of telling, instead inspired fear.

We were on our way to North Side Elementary School in the Central Dauphin School District, near the state capital in Harrisburg, the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, several dairy farms, some Amish households, and, by a distance of about 12 miles, Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island power plant, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in American history.

Please read the rest of this feature by going to:

http://thedefendersonline.com/2009/06/05/getting-our-environmental-%E2%80%98glow%E2%80%99-on/

Comment(s)

§ Jeff Banks said on : 03/20/11 @ 12:37

I remember sitting in the basement. I was around 16 years old. The basement was underground and concrete block construction. I was hoping it would block some of the rads. Funny, my parents house was built in the 40’s or 50’s I guess and included a “bomb shelter”. Block walls, no windows or doors to the outside. The worst day was when we did evacuate from CD East high school. Some fool teacher (geology class) turned on a gieger counter, the thing was rattlin off like popcorn in a microwave…(good analogy…we all got a few extra rays)Steelton/Harrisburg, PA

Comment(s)

§ Eisa said on : 03/20/11 @ 16:42

Thanks for your comment, Jeff. Those of us who were young when it happened have (I think) a really powerful perspective on the Three Mile Island event, and on nuclear power in general. All the talk about Japan has brought on a rush of memories. Thanks for sharing yours.

In light (LOL),

Eisa