story10271.xml

story10271.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-12-22

The life of a college freshman is generalized by parties, cramming, and life. It wasn't very far into my personal freedom and self discovery. all I wanted to do was stay in bed that day. Instead I took my shower, and dressed for my writing class.
I was on my way out, when my friend Joanna told me not to bother.
"Class has been cancelled," She said with a grimmace on her face.
I brightened at once. At that point all i wanted to do was redress into sweatpants, call the man i loved, and go for a satisfying work out at the gym.
"Why?" I asked cheerfully, hoping that it was declared national The world loves Lori day.
"Someone blew up the twin towers," Joanna said, her voice shaking.
"Thats not funny."
"I wasn't joking."
We both ran Into our friends room to watch CNN. this was the only time I ever remember watching CNN at school.
Oh, my god....It was all that I could think. I am not a religious person. I don't believe in anything, really. But that one time I prayed. I have only truly prayed a handful of times in my life
A close friend of mine once said that god is not a convienance. And I agree, If he exists he deserves more respect than I have given him, but at that point of devistation. I am not a republican. But that day I looked to the president for guidence. He offered very little.
That day, All I wanted to do, was redress into sweatpants, call my boyfriend, and work out at the gym. And I did all three.
My father was supposed to be there that day for a meeting. And although my love lived in cleaveland, his father worked at the port authority. I couldn't get through to my father. I called Chris's mother. and asked if she was alright. My sister called me telling me that our very close family friend Ed Miller was probably dead. He worked on the 70th floor of tower two. He was the man who taught me my favorite game. he came to our holidays. he had a wife and a family. what would they do with out him?
I could not deal wiht the flood of emotion I was feeling. I wanted to give blood, but they didn't want it at that point. Traffic was too heavy. The incomming flood of patients was too great. What would happen to the people responsible? What would happen to their associates. How do you deal with a situation in which you are completely helpless? You can't. So i went to the gym to work off my fear. It did very little.
I had my cellphone glued to me the whole time, trying to get in touch with my brother in boston, my boyfriend in cleaveland, and my father in new york. most lines were down. that night I found out they were all fine. Ed, who had been told to go back to his desk after the first strike, evacuated against orders, and walked down the 70 flights of stairs. My love's father had luckily been sent to brooklyn that morning in business. My own father in the traditional New Jersey predicament was on the New Jersey Turnpike stuck in traffic. He saw the planes crash in two towers from the road.
its been a while since then, but its not something one easily forgets. I wasn't even 18. Now I am 20. Not much older, really. I still feel like a little girl.
Everything thats happened should be left in the past. We should be given the opportunity to heal, but nothing has happened but a need for revenge. I witnessed the hate and the abuse of the Muslims on our very diverse college campus, and i was ashamed to be an american.
Today, we are going after Iraq. Being a Jewish American, I am not about to complain. However, the government has wanted to do this for years, and never had just cause to enter. The patriotic need for revenge has lead to the invasion of Iraq, which is good. And the patriot act, which is bad.
lets hope that we learn from our mistakes and eventually follow a path to peace.