I got serious about donating blood after 9/11.
Before the terrorist attacks of 2001, I had given only sporadically. After the tragedy, I reasoned that giving blood was all I could do to help those injured in New York and Washington, D.C.
On September 12, I joined the crowd of folks outside the Statehouse and waited for hours. The weather was as pleasant as he day before, but the atmosphere was saturated with uncertainty and unease. Conversations were subdued.
When I finally made it inside the donation bus, the Red Cross workers were pleasant but serious. They were eager to collect as many donations as possible in the time available
