Thanks for sharing this Anthony!

I, too, was greatly affected by this incident. Although I don't live near the areas where it was happening, the heightened awareness took its toll on me. I am a teacher; the school systems in Maryland were keeping the kids inside during recess and cancelling field trips - all in fear of the sniper. The school where the kid was shot was the junior high school I attended and was just a couple blocks from where I grew up. As the sniper extended his range of area, moving out of the DC area, I was just sure he would come up I-95 (a major North-South highway on the east coast) to the area in which I teach (3 miles away from I-95). My hypervigilance level is high enough on a normal day; during that time it was off the scale!

The 9-11 attacks really sent me for a loop. I internalized the terror, fear, and sadness, sinking into a depression I hadn't experienced before. We lived across the street from some tank training grounds for the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (an Army base in northern Maryland) and I had a recurring nightmare for over a year afterwards. The "people" would try (unsuccessfully) to get on the base; when they couldn't they would come and take over our house, killing Warren and the girls and taking me for their captive (why me? I dunno...). Then they would dig a tunnel from our yard, under the road, to the base. I would wake up in a panic every morning. We had to move, as I couldn't cope living there and the nightmares about that eventually stopped.

With the problems with terrorists seemingly increasing on a daily basis, it's a wonder that we all don't have PTSD. I know the terrorists have been out to get Americans for a long time, but the knowledge of it, through the media, makes it that much more real. I guess ignorance really is bliss!