Today is September 11. I'm almost afraid to turn on my tv because I know that I will be inundated with footage of the horrible things that happened that day 9 years ago. I'm just not sure that is something I want to watch. It may be good for me to remember, but I just don't feel like being sad today.
I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news. I was driving back to my morning class after spending the night at my sister's apartment. I was a sophomore in college and I was so glad that she had moved back to town for a while so I could have some family around. I had a class at 9 or so that day so I was driving back to my dorm room in my brother's old Ford Probe. I'd finally mastered the art of driving a stick shift that summer. I was listening to the radio and heard the special news report interrupt the music. I remember the dread, and fear, and uncertainty sink into the pit of my stomach like a stone. I remember that it was a gorgeous sunny day, just like it is today. I got back to my dorm room and watched the footage on tv with my roommate. It felt good to be in the company of another person and not alone in my car, dealing with the news by myself. We wondered whether we should go to class or not. We waited for them to cancel it. They didn't. I went to class, but I don't know which one it was. It felt weird to be going to class as if things were normal. Things were not normal. I came back and sat in front of the tv for the rest of the day. The one thing that sticks out most in my mind from that day was seeing the footage of people jumping from the burning towers. Choosing one method of death over another, because death was certain.
It seemed things would never go back to normal again, but somehow time marches on and life returns to some form of normalcy. The fear slowly subsides. Apathy begins to take root. Emotions and memories fade. Maybe I should turn my tv on today.
I remember where I was, where were you?
I was shopping for my dads birthday presents, because today is his birthday, and the store I was in dimmed the light, instructed us to go to the nearest check out and to exit the store as fast as possible. I live on the west coast and all the stores shut down. I went home and sat in our living room and watched the tv all day. It was scary, and shocking, and so uncertain. I was seriously afraid that we were experiencing an end of times scenario.....scary stuff when you're 20.
ReplyDeleteI was driving to school and heard it on the radio.. I turned on the TV when I got to school just in time to see the twin towers fall. I had the strangest feeling....as the towers collapsed floor by floor I could sense all those souls going to meet their Maker. I was thinking I pray they are ready!
ReplyDelete