I know tomorrow will be bombarded with peoples reflections of the events that unfolded 10 years ago, so I wanted to do it today before I get consumed in reading everyone elses thoughts I don't take time for my own.
10 years ago- I was 20 years old, living in a 3 bedroom apartment with 5 other girls, walking to and from school (college) everyday, I was in a very small town, having the time of my life, and living 1000's of miles away from any family.
I remember being asleep and hearing the phone in the kitchen ringing (this is pre-cell phone age) and I got up to answer it and saw my room mate asleep on the couch. The girl who shared a room with me had gone out of town and it was this day I was most grateful for her. That she was thoughtful enough to call our apartment to make sure we knew what was going on.
The first thing she said, "America's under attack." I said, "ok," thinking
this girl is SO dramatic! She said to turn on the news, and I asked what channel and she said it didn't matter. My roommate that was on the couch then heard us talking and got up to see what was going on and I asked her to turn on the t.v. We sat it horror. At that point only one tower had been hit. I can vividly picture on this little brown box of a t.v. watching a plane hit the 2nd tower. I can also picture the towers falling. It's complete denial of what's going on,
it's thinking
this can't be happening, this isn't real. Immediately my other room mates start calling family and we sat and debated on whether or not to attend our first class that morning. We went and the teacher had the t.v. on and we just sat watching more footage being replayed of what happened. We all took a class together in the afternoon and when we got there the teacher said he wouldn't have us watch anymore but wanted to talk about it. Because we needed to talk about what was happening. I think at this point I had no words for how I felt, and mainly because a lot of info hadn't been made available to us or known I didn't know how to feel or express myself. But I was grateful that that teacher took the time to let us take a break from all the images and rantings on the television and made sure that we were okay and processing things.
I called my parents that night and had never wished more than that day that I could've been at home or living closer to them. There was a comfort and security there that I longed for that I didn't have in Ephraim, UT. I do remember telling my dad that I was so grateful to be living in a small town, full of old homes and farms, because no one would want to hurt or destroy a tiny sheep herding down Main St. kind of town. I knew the terrorists weren't coming for us next. So in that sense I felt some security. I was also thankful that I knew no one in New York, no one who was associated with the Pentagon, or flight 93 that went down in PA. My heart hurt for the many who I knew that did have friends and family in NY and though no one that I knew had people who were hurt or missing in that area- we were all affected and grieving.
There's a lot of days and things I don't remember, like the day before, or the day after 9/11- shoot even last week- but no day is clearer to me than this day. I can't believe it has already been 10 years. It just reminds me how fast time has gone by and what all has transpired since then.
