Today

Today is September 11th. It's funny how this day passes and it's not as noticed any more. I think a lot of people think of it in passing when they remember the actual date. Sometimes it takes me a few hours to realize the date. I saw something on my counter this morning that had todays date on it though, so I remembered early today.

I'm not a sappy person. I realize that everything that happened that day has changed our country, and other countries as well. I have never even been to NYC, so I think it just seems unreal and far away for me. The closest I've come to seeing NY is movies. So, it's strange to see the two towers that no longer exist in movies, and have them gone in others.

I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, so I'd like to share a memory that remains very clear in my mind of this day 9 years ago.

I was in my freshman year at Utah State University. I woke up to one of my roommates (who NEVER watched TV, EVER) sitting in front of the TV. I immediately asked her what was going on, and what she was watching. She then told me that planes had crashed into the twin towers, and they were crumbling to the ground. I was just about ready to leave for class, but I sat down for a moment to catch up on what was going on. As I walked to my class one of the buildings I walked by had some outside loud speakers (I guess, I'm still not sure what exactly they were, or why this building had them), and the latest news was coming from the speakers. People were stopped on the sidewalks surrounding this building listening. It was quiet, startling quiet.

I arrive to my class, and the teacher didn't even speak of anything that'd happened. A class mate and I decided he probably had no idea. If he had an idea, he would have at least mentioned it. I went back home, and watched again. That's all anyone did that day. Watched when we could, stared, no words were spoken between people. I went to my afternoon class, and the teacher told us we'd be let out early because of what happened in NY.

The dorms I lived in were apartment style, and there were big windows in the front room, so you could see into the living room/kitchen area. I remember walking down the walk way and peoples doors and blinds were open, and every single house had the news on and at least 1 person, but usually multiple people watching the news. A couple days later it was still the same story. There was one day in particular I remember walking with my roommate, and seeing people still watching, and just telling her I couldn't do it any more. I had to stop watching it. Not because it wasn't crazy, and insane that something like that had happened. I just couldn't deal with the watching those people running away from those smoking towers screaming, yelling, just like a movie!! There are movie scene that look identical to what was actually happening. It was just becoming too depressing.

My heart goes out to many who were there, who have to have that memory as their own, and not a screen thousands of miles away. A friend of mine growing up was in DC on an internship. He was in his hotel room that morning, and could see the pentagon from his hotel. Needless to say, he didn't go in that morning. That man that took the plane down in PA is one of my heroes. I hope that we can be like him. I'm sure his wife misses him like crazy. I can't even imagine. I hope she has some sort of comfort in what he did for our country though.

How things have changed in these 9 years. It's crazy. Things will continue to change. That's how life is. That's what is supposed to happen so our world can progress. It's all for the better, even the hard parts.