I'd been laid off, first time in my working life of 20 years, on 8/20/01. Having gotten up to be job hunting on 9/11, my then-husband called my attention to the news. We stared at the screen, horrified, transfixed, silent. About 2 that afternoon, I got a call from my boss. I was back at work the next day. The shock in the air was palpable. Then the company designed and built a smallpox vax manufacturing plant that was up and running in 75 days. Unforgettable times.