story1723.xml

story1723.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-04

I make an hour long commute to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and was in my car, listening to a CD, singing along at the top of my lungs, hurrying to make it over to school on time. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that there weren't a lot of cars there, which was strange. As I walked into the science building, I saw a television set that was tuned into the news. That's where I first learned about the attacks on the WTC.

I can remember sitting through my first class, feeling numb. While there was no lesson that day, our teacher let us stay to talk about the events and to watch the news. I remember that everything felt like it was a dream, a sick, horrible dream that I couldn't shake. People around me were crying, worrying over loved ones that lived in New York. I just felt numb.

Being in the midwest, I felt like I was safe, like my family was safe. I still feared for friends that lived in New York and the Washington D.C. area, but I never felt like I wasn't safe. I remember that I felt guilty that I was feeling secure when there were others that didn't have that luxury. Other people just like me were gone forever and no one could give a good reason why.

A year later, I still cry when I hear stories of those that lost their lives, of the children that were born without their fathers, of the women that lost their husbands and fiancees, of the parents that lost children. I think of the firemen that rode in RAGBRAI (a biking event across Iowa) that will never come back because they went in to save one more life. The pictures and stories will forever touch my soul.