My parents divorced in the sixties.
They had moved from our native Iceland to Maryland and because of the divorce, my mother moved back to Iceland with her children, me and my sister.
We would visit my father every now and then, usually for few weeks in the summertime.
A large group had skipped classed to stand in line at the box office of Hersheypark arena to get tickets to see Billy Joel
In the spring of 1978 I went to visit my father, who was living in Mechanicsburg PA, on a small farm close to the Turnpike, about 11 miles from TMI.
I was 18 that year and decided to stay for a while, and attend HACC for two semesters.
In the spring of 1979 I was enjoying my time at HACC. My schedule included a smorgasbord of subjects; Chemistry, Speech, English and various other items that I felt like testing.
I was not majoring in anything, just trying to find my groove.
One morning when I came to school, hardly anyone was there. A large group had skipped classed to stand in line at the box office of Hersheypark arena to get tickets to see Billy Joel.
Instead of rushing to Hershey, I looked up the ticket office in the phonebook and called. The box office was about to open in a few minutes, but someone answered.
“Can I have 2 tickets to see Billy Joel?“ I asked. “No problem“ the girl answered, and told me I had to pick them up the same day, and pay. These were prime seat tickets – great viewing spot.
The concert sold out in about two hours.
In March of 1979 I saw “The China Syndrome“ in the movie theater.
In my memory, the movie got mixed reviews. I think some of them may have been altered since.
To me this was just a fun thriller. I still remember Jack Lemmon‘s great acting.
No more class today – due to TMI
On Wednesday, March 28 1979, I drove to school like other days.
In those days there was no internet and no all-news cable tv in the kitchen.
I did not realize what had happened in the early morning hours down at TMI until I arrived at HACC.
There was talk, but not to serious.
Some compared the news to “The China Syndrome.”
One teacher acted like she KNEW more than others about the accident.
She was SURE that information regarding radioactive leak were not accurate.
She hinted that she had connections to the truth.
As I recall, there was no real scare on Wednesday or Thursday, but on Friday the 30th things changed.
That is when the governor advised pregnant women and pre-school children within 5 mile radius to evacuate.
The effect in school was that many teachers disappeared, leaving a note on the door saying something like “No more class today – due to TMI“
So, around noon there was hardly anyone at the school.
I realized then that perhaps I was not at the right place
Now, what does one do with time off ?
I went for a ride.
I drove from HACC down to Middletown to look at TMI.
This was a calm spring day, I don’t recall any wind and there was kind of misty weather.
I remember driving through Middletown, and there was no traffic, neither cars nor pedestrians.
It felt like everyone was gone.
In front of one house, a little girl, was sitting in a swing. I assumed she was waiting for her parents to come out of the house and drive away with her.
This was like a scene from a sci-fi horror movie.
When I arrive outside TMI, there was nobody there.
I parked at the parking lot across the street and just stood there watching. I had never been so close to a nuclear reactor before.
As I stood there gazing at the tall towers, a flatbed truck came out with few guys on the back, wearing protective gear, something I recognized later, the first time I watched the Simpsons 😊
I realized then that perhaps I was not at the right place – and drove away.
I think Jimmy Carter visited the plant two days later.
Icelanders don’t get scared by things they don’t see.
Now, at home the discussion was about the distance from TMI. The authorities recommended evacuation within 5 miles and kindly asked people within 10 miles downwind to stay indoors.
Dad‘s house was 11 miles away.
So, his wife and my siblings drove to relatives in Ohio while dad and I stayed at the farm.
Icelanders don’t get scared by things they don’t see.
Now, I still had tickets to see Billy Joel.
Hersheypark arena was being used by people evacuated from Middletown and the concert was cancelled.
There were people who said that the concert was cancelled because Billy Joel chickened out, but I totally understood the cancellation.
I remember that a local radio station re-enacted a Billy Joel concert on the night it was to happen, playing his songs and describing what he would be doing on stage.
Later I drove to Hershey and got a full refund for my tickets.
While I was reminiscing about this today, I realized that IF I had kept the tickets until today, I could have sold them for good price on Ebay.
To this day I haven’t felt any effects of having gone to TMI that day.
Just a few reminiscing thoughts.
Best regards and greetings from Reykjavik, Iceland.
Ragnar