September 11th 2014

Today is September 11th 2014.

Thirteen years ago, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. A third plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, and a forth plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. After the smoke cleared, nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives.

I was sound asleep on the morning of September 11th . I had just started my junior year at Washington State University-Pullman. I skipped a couple of classes due to a wicked hangover. My roommate at the time came into my room, emotional and a bit incoherent. All he said was, “Those fucking bastards attacked us! We’re being effing attacked!”

I didn’t know what to think. Honestly, I really didn’t know what to make of the ruckus in the front room. The TV was exceptionally loud and the rest of my roommates were eerily quiet. But selfishly, I was pissed I was awakened from a very sexy dream about Jenna Jameson, Cindy Crawford, and yours truly.

I got dressed, opened my bedroom door, and entered the front room.
I remember seeing the second plane hit.

I felt numb.
Listless.
Empty.

I wanted to run….I didn’t know where I wanted to run, or where it was safe to run.I just knew I had to leave because, I figured, big bombs were sure to follow.

My roommates were crying.
Even the doctorate student from South Africa was crying.
Then I started to cry.

We huddled around the glowing box in the corner of the living room, perched on top of an older wooden table. It was like an altar, an altar of destructive morality…and we were its hapless devotees. There was a union then…a safe, protective brotherhood as we witnessed the events of that day. Another one of my roommates came into the front room through the front door, dropped his bookbag and sat on the floor. He was transfixed on the TV screen. So much that we couldn’t get through to him. After I went over and hugged him, he started to cry.

The events of September 11th touched each individual in the United States in a different way.

I will never forget those who died on the planes, in the buildings, or have never been found.

I ask you never forget as well.