7 Years Later

My mom talks about where she was when Kennedy was assassinated, but it's something I can't relate to. It was still 7 years before I was born. (Huh. 7 years. Ironic)

But I can remember the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 very well.

I was still in bed trying to wake up. Hotness was in the bathroom down the hall drying her hair and getting ready for work.
The radio was on the jazz station and the DJ made a news announcment that "it appears that a plane has flown into one of the World Trade Center Towers, but nothing specifc about details at this time".

In my morning haze, I asked Hotness, "Did he say a PLANE hit the building?"
She poked her head into the bedroom and said, "Yeah. I think he did. Wonder what's up with that."

I got ready and was on my way to work, listening to the radio as the story developed.
I couldn't wrap my head around what I was hearing. First one plane, then another one. Panic in New York. Then a plane crashed into the Pentagon.
The Pentagon?!? Isn't that where the military is supposed to be headquartered?

Everybody on the road seemed to be listening as intently as I was, as I don't remember anything traffic-related being a problem that day.

I got to work and one of my co-wrokers asked if I'd heard the news about the towers.
"Yeah. What's going on, have you heard more?" I asked

We set up a TV in the warehouse and watched as the news replayed and commented on the events.

I don't remember being scared or angry or anything like that.
All I can remember is feeling like it was just F*ing surreal and I must still be asleep. Like it had to be the most vivid dream I've ever had.
But it wasn't.

The phones at work were pretty quiet that day. A lot of our customers and our vendors (especially the east coast ones) took the rest of the day off.
Those few who did call, were very quiet and the conversation was carefully approached about the subject of the day.

I remember all the planes across America being grounded and when they started flying again I would look up into the skies and wonder if it was supposed to be there and if it was going in the right direction.
Anyone with a turban got a cautious glance out of the corner of my eye. I didn't want to be a dick, but I also didn't want to help someone attain their promise of virgins in the next life.

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It's 7 years later now.

We're at war with 'the terrorists'.
Our ecomony is sinking fast while prices continue to rise.
We've pissed off a lot of the nations we used to be friends with.
We're coming up on an election where I feel I can't trust ANY of the candidates to do what's right for the people and not the corporations that are taking advantage of everyone.

But, I'm not freaked out by seeing a plane overhead and I don't think twice when I see anyone with a turban.
I do keep my eyes open when I'm suspicious of my surroundings but I don't get all worked up about it.


I can't tell if I've woken up yet or not.