The Mayan calendar ended on 12/21/12. Lots of people thought the world would end. I don't buy into any of that; I prefer to leave those big ticket items in God's hands and focus on living my life. But for a brief time on this day I wondered if my particular world would end. I'll start backward with the end of the story...which is, bottom line...I don't know exactly what happened. (Gotta love that ending!) But I am pretty sure the end of the story - minus the drama - is that someone was driving around the BCC parking lot while displaying a gun. I don't believe this person entered any buildings. No shots were fired. Thankfully, our stellar public safety department, along with the police department, responded promptly and effectively and saved the day.
It all started with an announcement over all the PA systems across campus. This PA system is only used in emergencies and I very rarely hear it used, so it was rather unnerving just to hear a voice over the loudspeakers. We were told to lock all doors to our buildings and offices and go to a safe place where we could not be seen. I thought it must be a drill. It was payday and I am responsible for all the checks that don't go direct deposit - a few hundred or so - so I gathered up paychecks and locked the front door. Then I noticed our Vice-President of Academics - who is actually our acting President since Dr. Vietti is retiring - was trying to open the door. So I let her in and said, "I think you ought to go to the vault with me and the paychecks even though this probably is a drill." Then the PA system came on again and said "This is not a drill. Lock your doors and get out of sight immediately." Not comforting.
So several of us were locked in the HR office in our nice, safe vault. The only thing that worried me a bit was that my office had the paychecks, the HR Director and the acting President, so someone with a grudge could conceivably be coming our way. We were a little nervous, but overall we were just fine. Well, OK, I had a problem. I had to go to the bathroom. One of my co-workers had a text from her friend who is married to a deputy, "Do just what they tell you. This is real." Once again, not comforting!
After an eternity of waiting (made worse because I had to use the restroom so badly) one of our public safety officers came to check on us. That is the good side of having the paychecks, HR Director, and President hiding out with me! I asked him if anyone was hurt and he said no. I begged for permission to go across the hall to the bathroom and he said he had to escort me. Picture this...me running across the hall, being guarded by a security officer in a bullet proof vest with his arms extended diagonally to cover me. What a hoot!! No, he did not enter the restroom with me; he stopped at the door.
They finally called the all clear and sent everyone home. Everyone but HR. I still had the paychecks. Now I had to get them all ready to mail since people could not come pick them up. By the time I was ready to go the campus was pretty deserted. I admit to feeling uneasy as I had to carry thousands of dollars worth of paychecks across the parking lot to my car and I didn't know if some lunatic might appear. But my morbid imaginings did not come true and the checks are safely in the mail.
God is good. I felt His peace and knew He was in control no matter what. It was comforting to know friends and family were praying. I'm so thankful no one was hurt. Instead, I envision this being THE big story we tell in the office as each winter break approaches...Remember the year we spent the last afternoon before break in the vault?
This last day of work before winter break, while not the end of the world the Mayan calendar predicted, made me a little tired. :)
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