As I took this photo both elevator doors were closed and I didn't see the instant the door opened. I was taking a picture of the elevators in the Garden Section of the Opryland Hotel where we had been trapped on Sunday Sept 4th, 2011. We had used these elevators many times from our room on the fourth floor to the lobby floor. There was construction going on and one elevator of the four available was not being used due the remodeling.
On Sunday a little before 5:00 pm we got on the elevator to go to the first floor to catch the shuttle for the Gen Jackson Riverboat dinner cruise. There was a very nice bellman with two empty luggage carts and a young lady who had just gotten off work and was on her way home to her nine year old and her eighteen month old baby. As we greeted each other and smiled confident we were all going to the first floor.
In an instant the power went out and the elevator slammed to a stop. There we were in total darkness.
I and the young girl opened our cell phones for light and the bellman was on his phone calling security.
The red emergency phone didn't work at first and now I'm not sure it ever did. The bellman spoke very calmly to us saying it was probably just a blown transformer. Of course instantly I smelled a hint of smoke which could have been the cause of the loss of power or my imagination. Once I calmed my self down by breathing and using a tapping on the ear and chest I had learned at a retreat I relaxed. As I sat by the young lady she in her broken English told me she was from Egypt and had been in this country for six years and had worked at Opryland for three years. I thought to myself here she was in a strange country with a three year old when she arrived. Her English was so broken I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me about her husband. I kept thinking over and over about the thousands of people trapped on 911 in the twin towers and many were probably in the elevators to different floors to start their work day when they were trapped and died. I prayed that we were not in a similar situation but we never know what can happen in an instant.
Suddenly the first floor flashed on for a split second and she said 'I pray Jesus' now I pray more Jesus.
I had my hand on top of hers and when the bellman and the security pushed the door open and we stepped down about eight inches to the second. She hugged me and couldn't let go and kept saying 'I love you' as we went to go our separate ways she grabbed me again and we hugged for many seconds.
Needless to say my brain was a little rattled after being trapped for 25 minutes, the longest 25 minutes of my life and I was very thankful to be safe. We never know the instant the door of life will close.
The saying when one door closes another door opens came to my mind when I took the photo of the elevators.
So I pray for all those who lost their lives and all the families forever scarred. For the survivors still healing from their physical and emotional pain which will last a lifetime. For all the Fireman and Police and hundreds of others helping to rescue the living, many losing their life in trying to do so. For all of the brave people as they tried to recover the remains of those who died. I send prayers, peace and love to all of them wherever they may be Peace to all.
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