Mike Kenny worked at Ground Zero during the recovery effort after the September 11 attacks.
He came to StoryCorps with his wife, Brenda, to talk about his work and the effect it had on their family.
Recorded December 5, 2008.
Transcript
Mike Kenny (MK) and Brenda Kenny (BK)
MK: They were taking names as volunteers at the time so I put my name on the list and eventually I got directions that I was going to be working at the trade center.
BK: We were on different schedules completely and you came home at two, three o’clock in the morning. I’d hear the garage opening cause you’d go in and change your clothes there.
MK: You didn’t really want to put back on those same clothes. They were just standing up by themselves anyway.
BK: The children have said that he was so concerned about his clothes. I don’t think they realized that you were trying to protect them from inhaling stuff that may not be good for them. That was always…like almost a sore point.
MK: I know that it was hard on the family. You know, it was seven months. And, I remember Ryan saying to me that he didn’t like, uh, first grade and I said, Ryan, how come you don’t like first grade? And he goes, Because you’re never here, Dad.
BK: We were very vulnerable because our world was shaken by this whole experience. And it changed you.
MK: Well, I couldn’t detach from the site. You know? Someone said it was like going to war everyday and then coming home. You couldn’t shut down right away. So. I really didn’t talk much about the site in the beginning. I haven’t talked about it a lot at all. Not at all. There’s so many different angles and different feelings that come up. You know, for me I felt a little blessed to be down there because I felt I was paying back for some of my misdeeds in my youth, you know? I’m sure that there was 50,000 people that would have took my place if they had the chance. There were so many people that wanted to be there. But uh, I think God gives you what you can handle. And you go with it.