September 11, 2001-This morning I awoke about 6 am. The rays from the rising sun penetrated the curtain opening next to my bed, hitting me right in the eyes. Parting the curtain, I looked up at the clear blue sky and thought what a glorious day this day would be. Soon, I would be on my way to Los Angeles for the annual scientific meeting of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine where I was to become its president.
I do not love flying, especially on the small commuter planes that link Charlottesville, Virginia, with Dulles International Airport. I had been checking the Weather Channel Web site for several days to see what the conditions would be for the short, 20-minute flight to Washington and for the cross-country flight to Los Angeles. It was perfect-a high-pressure system dominated nearly the entire country from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The manuscripts for the next issue of Infants and Young Children were due to the Aspen managing editor. I decided to use my flight from Washington to Los Angeles to ponder and write my "From the Editor" column. To me, the geographic diversity and beauty of this country presented a wonderful metaphor for what's good about early intervention. The beautiful things-the mountains, plains, cities, countryside, rivers, lakes, and natural wonders-would pass underneath and be visible during the 6-hour flight. The bad things-rural and urban poverty, family violence, adolescent pregnancy, funding inadequacies, personnel shortages, and service disparities-would be hidden.
When I arrived at the local airport for check-in, I was told that I would leave Charlottesville on schedule, but might experience delays in departing from Dulles. Five minutes later, all flights were grounded. What was happening? The agent at the counter said something about a plane flying into the World Trade Center. Then, someone started shouting that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. Shortly thereafter, we heard that a plane had crashed in Pennsylvania and a second plane had blasted into the World Trade Center. Was this the biblical Armageddon?
A crowd gathered around a television in the small waiting area. Images of the blazing World Trade Center filled the screen, revealing one startling catastrophe after another. Police soon arrived to clear the terminal and seal off the airport. I later learned that the plane that had crashed into the Pentagon had departed from Dulles and was bound for my intended destination.
When this column is published several months from now, the psychological wounds of this day will undoubtedly still be raw, perhaps deeper and festering. Healing may take many years. Yet, humans have an irrepressible resilience that hopefully will result in a more secure, just, and peaceful world for everyone. If there is a message in this for early intervention, perhaps it is the importance of unity, understanding, and a resolute response to evil.