Processing

Posted on 26 April 2012


As it happened.
Day 1, aftermath.
Day 2, aftermath.
I’m glad I wasn’t in the blast, obviously. I’ve worked in a mill. I have plenty of friends who have or do. My brother was doing shutdown across the river at another mill when this happened. My dad was called out as a first responder as it happened. My mom works in the burn unit of the hospital. She’ll be helping survivors in the months to come. I’ve just been compiling stories. But man. Completely embedding yourself in something like this, all day, every day. It takes a toll.
I don’t want to overplay it. I can take a breath, leave the room. I didn’t see it happen. I didn’t smell burning hair or see flesh hanging off of anyone. My family isn’t hurt, unemployed, or dead as a result. My city, though affected, isn’t going to shut down.
But it’s still going to take some time to process. And I’m pretty far removed from this.
I can’t even imagine what it’s like for those who were there. I have no words for them. Just… good luck. Good luck.

Filed under: Best Of, personal

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4 Comments

Well said, Andrew. I appreciate the updates you have been providing. I feel terrible for the affected families.

Posted by Fraser on 26 April 2012 @ 7am

yes, well said- I cannot imagine the life changes that are going to happen for so many  people

Posted by Maureen Beier on 26 April 2012 @ 9am

Sawmilling in the North has changed dramatically over the last few months.  My heart goes out to everyone affected.

Posted by Greg Jonuk on 26 April 2012 @ 7pm

[…] interested in when a localized event becomes something that affects the whole community. The Lakeland Mills explosion seems to have imprinted on people’s minds a lot, regardless of whether they saw the blast or […]

Posted by Localized Emergencies | AndrewKurjata.ca on 18 November 2012 @ 11am