Four Years Already
I had no idea today was the 11th. I thought it was the 10th.
It’s already been four years since September 11th. Can you believe how quickly time flies? It seems as though, just yesterday, I was about to go to school when I heard the news report. I remember still thinking I’d go to school until my mom told me she didn’t want me riding the subway. I kept watching and realized how chaotic things were and, for whatever reason, thought that I should go down to Regina and help out in the school. I don’t think I was able to do much other than run messages up and down the floors, but I’ll never forget the eery calm that overcame the building that was, almost suddenly, broken by the panic of parents thinking their children were next. Did they really think terrorists were going to bomb a school of 125 children? I was so cynical of that back then, but now, maybe I understand it a bit more. Afterall, we all stop thinking when paranoia and chaos set in.
Honestly, I’m not going to say this is worse than the tragic loss of life and property from such things as the December tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, but, you have to be a New Yorker to fully grasp just how mind blowing it is. The World Trade Centers were a symbol of our dominance and importance. They were strong and stood tall and defined our city, along with the Empire State Building. Then, right before our eyes, they crumbled down with the thousands of people inside and the thousands fleeing on the streets below. The dust cloud settled and that was it. All gone. Just like that.
Before they fell, my dad was unfortunate enough to witness people jumping from the towers. Can you imagine that? In the movies, you never see them hit the ground; they just fade into the darkness. This wasn’t a movie, though. No one could yell “cut” and stop it all.
After all that, it’s amazing how our lives have changed. Sure, we have our government, local and federal, investing a lot more time and money into the prevention of future attacks and all, but what about us? I can’t believe how different I am now, how much I’ve grown. My life is still a mess. I have a shitty job and only work it 3 days a week. I’m 21 and have no real idea what I’m doing in life. Yet, I’ve grown a lot since then. I have a better handle on reality, now. I’d like to think my writing has something to do with that. Four years already? Wow, we grow in a flash.
Filed under: Journal
Eh, my general feeling is that I personally remember 9/11 and I feel that I personally pay my respects and it is a personal thing. As for the rest of the country and “touching” news specials and “human interest” stories, I’m quite sick of them. I remember it, I don’t care if other people do or not.
My memory of 9/11 is coming home and seeing the news take over all the channels. I remember being irritated at the Simpsons being overtaken by BBC news, before realising just what had happened.
My first thought was “Hang on, why is there a movie on? Shouldn’t it be the Simpsons?”