It was the second day of my freshman year in college, we (I think my roomate Katey and fellow swimmer Dana) were leaving the cafeteria to go get ready for our 9am classes...I had calculus *groan*. Almost to the door of the cafeteria this tall blonde kid almost knocked me down saying something about NYC being bombed...we thought he was kidding and totally crazy...but ran upstairs to turn on the TV anyway. (BTW I later learned this crazy blonde kid was Darwyn and would later become a friend and business fraternity brother)
Turned on the TV just in time to hear the second tower had been hit...
SHOCK, AWE, SILENCE, CONFUSION
not sure what had just happened or what to do about it...we left for class...in retrospect we should have/could have stayed and watched...but 2nd day of college, 1st day of Tuesday classes, we didn't want to get into trouble.
I got to class and my professor said if we wanted to leave we could...I stayed...not sure why, I don't think the reality of the situation really hit me, it seemed too surreal. I don't remember much about the rest of the day, I supposed I went through it as normal, as though nothing had happened, just another day...there was a candle light vigil on campus that night, a fellow swimmer Brad, hadn't heard from his Uncle a NYC firefighter...made it a little more real to know someone affected.
I wonder if I'll ever forget where I was that morning, what I was doing and how I found out...I wonder if people who were alive for Pearl Harbor still remember the instant they found out? The day JFK died? etc?
These tragic moments in history...do they become just history? Do we all eventually forget what it really was? Does it become just another page in the history book? by the time my kids are in school learning US history I imagine it will be a few pages, maybe a chapter?
NEVER FORGET 9/11/01
No comments:
Post a Comment