story8143.xml

story8143.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-26

Just one day before the eleventh of that month I thought I was the most unfortunate man to walk the earth. Besides,I had just gotten out of a Texas prison 3 days earlier and during that time of incarceration I lost my wife, step kids and all I knew about this world out here. I thought "how am I going to readapt to this world now that I finally have paid for my wrong doings?" I basically literally had nothing to lose after my release so I thought about just starting a "new life" somewhere and where else better than to do that from scratch than in a city like New York? So for those first few days I thought about spending any money I had on the first airline ticket I could get to New York. So before I just up and left I wanted to spend some time with family and a friend I still had back in my hometown of Midland,Texas. I remember the night before the attacks clearly...a nice calm night out talking and looking up at the stars sitting in a quiet backyard lawn and watching east bound airliners fly by and telling my buddy that my time was near for me to be on one of those headed toward New York City. It got late out so I decided I was going to stay over so I wouldn't have to walk that long way back home. I woke up in the morning at about 7:45 central time and got up and cleaned up so I could do some morning exercises. I was about to head out the back door but I just had to know what the weather was going to be like the next few days on the east coast so I would know what kind of clothes I should have when I went to New York. As I turned the t.v. on I channel surfed for the weather channel and I got one of the news channels and I saw the New York skyline filled with smoke. I thought that maybe there was just a fire that was getting taken care of and it might just be some minor thing. So I went out to the back yard to begin some cardio. Well after about a few minutes of that my friends phone rang and I saw through the window that he ran toward the television as fast as he could to see what was on t.v. He called for me not knowing where I was and finally
I walked in and asked him why he was hollering for me so much. "The World Trade Center has been bombed!" he said. I was confused. So needless to say we both were stuck to the television for another few hours. As we went to another friends home about and hour later we noticed not another vehicle other than ours was on the road for a long while anywhere, and everything was closed. I couldn't believe it, especially when I...me... thought I was having a bad life. I cried tears of anger, sorrow, and hate. "Is this what I came out to? A world of hate and murder?",I said out loud. It was very awkward coming out of a hell right back into another one. Or it seemed at the time. My heart goes out to all those who have to live the September 11th tragedies in thier minds over and over again and to those who survived the hellish nightmare. I am no one of great power, but with what my heart has to offer to anyone who needs a helping hand lets me know I am doing my part as an American trying to make things right with at least myself. God Bless this World.