Sometimes you just have to say, "Thanks!"
Thanks for what?
Today I am grateful that I didn't go to New York City. It may seem weird to be thankful that I am not working, but that is just how I feel. If I had gone to work today, I would have had to go through Hoboken Station, the train station in Hoboken, New Jersey.
In case you didn't know, there was a serious accident there today. Over 100 people were injured, and some of them are in critical condition after a train crashed through the end of the platform at Hoboken Station. The time that the accident occurred would normally be after the time that I would normally be passing through, but you never know.
This accident has made me rethink the intelligence of standing on the platform as the train is coming in, and to also think that maybe sitting until the train comes to a complete stop is also a good idea. After all, chances are that, barring a true miracle, I am going to have to go back to the daily commute.
However, right now, my main emotion is gratitude. So...
Yes, thank you!!
Under circumstances like these, it's always best to take a moment and say, "Thank you God for putting me in a different place."
My heart goes out to those people who were on their way to work when it happened. I hope that the injured recover quickly and fully, and that the station is not so damaged as to make future travel difficult or impossible.
Who is Irene P. Smith? I am an author, programmer, and web designer. A former Contributing Editor to PC Techniques Magazine, I have written about computers and programming since 1989, and began publishing fiction in 2003. My home is in New York State, along the Delaware River, where I live with my husband and son.
You can also find me elsewhere on the web:
- My "other" blog: An Irene Thing
- My Author's Website: irenepsmith.com
- My Professional Website: irenesmith.com
- Facebook: IrenePSmithAuthor
- Twitter: @Story_Teller
WOW, Irene! That is something to definitely be thankful for. Thoughts and prayers to the 100+ people and their families.
I agree! I never thought I'd be grateful for unemployment :) but I have to wonder how it happened. The trains usually come into the station slowly enough that even if they didn't stop in time, the worst that could happen is that they would bump into the end of the platform. It's weird. I guess we'll have to wait and see what comes of it.
Glad you were safe. I used to live in NJ and Manhattan and I knew someday they would have a catrasphic event like this. My family are all still there except me. Can not stand NY and NJ..lol Thanks for folllowing me.
One women died as the result of the crash, and the state legislature finally decided to overhaul the tax code. Eliminated the estate tax, reduced the sales tax, reduced the tax on pension income, and significantly increased the gasoline tax to bolster the transportation fund so that needed improvements in infrastructure could be made.