I was in 8th grade at the time of the fire,, and had heard about it on the news. The next morning our pastor came into our room, and told us some more about it. He told us that the children who survived did so because they were obedient children and followed their teachers' orders. Even then I did not believe the children who had died did so because they did not follow directions. Father C made it sound like their death was punishment for disobedience. I was deathly afraid of fire before that time, and the OLA fire and the priest's word fueled my fears. I spent many nights of sleeplessness worrying about my own safety, and thinking of the students of OLA during the days following the fire. I have been fascinated by all that happened that day. One time I took my own children to the local fire museum in Cincinnati, and there in a display, I saw a newspaper article about the fire. Recently, I had asked my sister-in-law if she remembered the fire, and that discussion made us "google" it. That day just happened to be the anniversary of the fire. It has been on my mind even more since then. I have read much of the website. Although I have never experienced anything as tragic as this fire, I have felt the pain of the children, and now, at this point in my life, I feel that of the parents too. The families and their children remain in my prayers after all this time.
|