A Golden Crane

Above my desk is a United States map with red dot stickers marking cities I've traveled to for work. In the lower right-hand corner, hanging from a pushpin, is a golden crane ornament. I picked this up in a gift shop in Oklahoma City to remind me of a few things I learned while I was there.

I was 3 months into my new career as a practicing attorney. I was busy learning the ropes, adjusting to my new travel schedule, and just trying to hang on. My week was looking good until I got a call on Monday afternoon. I was told that I now had six additional hearings: four on Thursday and two on Friday. To make matters worse, I would need to travel. Thursday's hearings were in Tulsa and Friday's hearings were in Oklahoma City. 6 cases to prep, 2 trips to arrange, and a flight and a road trip. All with two days notice. And I still had a trip to Harlingen, TX to make.

Tuesday, I take off on a day trip to Harlingen. Everything went smoothly until I tried to fly home. Due to weather in Houston, our little Express plane was not going to make it. Our flight was cancelled. No more flights with that airline were flying out that night. They tried to re-book me on another flight for Thursday. I was supposed to be in Tulsa on Thursday and I had a hearing Wednesday morning in Houston. That was not going to work. So I tried to see about getting a rental car and just driving the six hours up to Houston. Rental agencies refused to book a one way rental. So then I went to Southwest. Due to their bigger planes they had no problem flying through the Houston weather. Unfortunately, my car was parked at the Bush Airport in north Houston and Southwest only flies into Hobby, just south of downtown. Once I got booked on my Southwest flight, I had to arrange for a shuttle to take me from Hobby to Bush to pick-up my car. The Southwest flight got delayed, there were other passengers in the shuttle that had to be dropped off first, but eventually I made it to my car and back home. With four hours of sleep, I was up and at it again.

Wednesday, I had my hearing in Houston and flew out to Tulsa. Due to yet another delay, I arrive later than expected. I'm given a hummer-esque type jeep to drive and I make it to my hotel well past midnight. I get a whopping fours of sleep, yet again. I'm the kind of the girl that needs a full eight to function properly. With six or seven I can manage pretty well. But four hours of sleep, two nights in a row...it wasn't looking good.

I arrive in downtown Tulsa for my four hearings. Took me awhile to find the building and I had to ask for directions. My first hearing with the Judge I walk in and say "Good morning," smiling as I try to mask the complete exhaustion and bewilderment of my week thus far. The Judge, however, did not appreciate my greeting, and proceeded to lecture me on how my behavior was entirely unacceptable. Getting chewed out for saying good morning?! Let's just say that was only the beginning. I'm not really sure how I did it, but I somehow made it through without crying. That came later.

Once I finally made it to Oklahoma City (and fortunately I did not fall asleep on the two hour drive there), I finished the mandatory work for the day and crashed. Early. Despite the city excitement that surrounded the NBA Finals to be played there that night.

Oklahoma City proved to be much better than Tulsa. The Judge was nice, our hearings went smoothly, and I was in and out with time to spare.

The Oklahoma City federal building, where my hearings were held, is located right across the street from the site of the old federal building. The one that was blown up in 1995 by Timothy McVeigh. It is always a humbling experience to do hearings in Oklahoma City. There's a constant reminder of how short life is and how many people pay the price for senseless violence. If I had been doing in 1995 what I'm doing now, I would have been in that building.

With the extra time I had before my flight, I toured the grounds of the old federal building and the monuments dedicated to those who lost their lives.



The wall says 9:01, when OKC lived in innocence.
There is another wall on the opposite end that says 9:03, when OKC would never be the same again.
The reflection pool is where the federal building once stood.
 

168 chairs represent those that died.
There are 9 rows to represent the 9 floors each person was on.

This was written by one of the first responders. It still remains, untouched and unchanged.

 

There are still loved ones who bring the departed gifts and notes tucked into the wire fence that remains.

I bought a ticket and toured the museum housed in the building next to the site. I have never been to such a place for such an awful event that happened in my lifetime. I remember seeing the news and feeling the horror as so many other Americans did. While I was at the museum, they had a woman speak to us for an hour about her experience on that horrible day in April. She had a one-year-old son that attended day care in the building and was killed the day of the bombing. I can't tell you what an effect it had on me.

Here I was having what I thought was the worst week ever: 1 cancelled flight, 2 nights with 4 hours of sleep, 4 cases before a judge that chewed me out for saying "good morning," and 6 hearings dropped on me with 2 days notice. But it wasn't the worst week ever. I've never come close to having the worst week ever.

In Japanese folklore, it is believed that folding a thousand paper cranes will help cure illness. This belief was made popular by a Japanese girl who died from the effects of radiation after the atomic bomb in WWII. Paper cranes have since become an expression of mourning as well. After the Oklahoma City bombing, schoolchildren sent paper cranes in increments of a thousand to comfort the victims. These paper cranes are exhibited in the museum.

I bought a golden crane in the gift shop on my way out and hung it above my desk when I got home. It is there to remind me that no matter how bad my week is, it can never be that bad. On a rough day, I look up at it and remember, my day is pretty good after all.