Opening of my short story, Saving the World Bit by Bit--that I wrote in 2001, work-shopped at Bethesda Writers Center, published in Burmese (I translated it myself)--
Saving the World Bit by Bit.
I remember distinctly it was September 12th, 2001.
Just the day before I was at a middle school in Alabama, promoting education and literacy by reading some of my own poetry to twelve year olds, when my aid whispered in my ear (all captured live on TV) that the first and then the second planes had hit the World Trade Center Towers in New York City.
I managed to keep my jaw clamped tightly shut, even though the photos show me wide-eyed.
I changed my speech at once, looked directly at the camera and addressed the nation.
It wasn’t difficult at all.
Anybody can do it who has any brain at all and who needs to rise to the occasion.
Anyone with a little imagination.
The next eight to ten hours were as you all know, me being flown on Air Force One, or maybe it was my double (I almost said “body double”) from one secure place to another whose locations I cannot tell you. . .
Copyright KMKaung
8-5-2014
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