General Discussion

I lived in a rural community that was located approximately 50 miles from downtown DC. Both parents worked. I was always afraid I'd be home alone when the missiles hit. After school, I would practice setting up a bomb shelter in our basement in under 30 minutes. I dragged bedding, food, and clothing to the basement. Filled up buckets of water. Last phase was getting the dog and cat down to the basement and under the basement stairs with me. The pets were not a fan and as soon as they saw me gather up my gear they would take off into the corn fields. I'd be running through the corn fields yelling, "Come back! You're going to be "annicinerated". Never occurred to me to put them in the basement first. My mother found this behavior concerning. My father felt it was a rational response for 9-year-old girl trying to deal with the unspeakable. Once the crisis passed I went back to riding my bike and building forts in the woods.