story961.xml

story961.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-02

I woke up, like any normal day and went to my History 101 class at Northern Virginia Community College. After class, I went out to have a smoke with some friends, when someone told me that her friend called her and told her that a plane crashed into one of the WTC buildings. We didn't know if he was pulling her leg or not, so I went about my business, which led me to the Starbucks I usually went to before my next class at 11. I called my mother (who works for a large ISP) to see if it really happened, and she confirmed it. She told me it was extremely busy and she had to go. It turns out that one of the girls who worked at Starbucks had a boyfriend who worked at the Pentagon. We didn't have a television, but people were getting phone calls here and there with updates. I still couldn't believe what had happened. By 10:45 a.m., I had to go to class. Everyone was nervous, and the teacher was still trying to teach the class. We kept hearing sirens outside and wondering what was happening. People were looking at the windows every time a plane passed by. As we walked out of class at 12:15, there was a sign saying that the school was closed as of 12:00. I was due in at work (at the same ISP as my mother), so I tried to call to find out what was going on, and no one answered. So, I called my mother again and she told me everyone went home and for me to go home. I spent the next three days glued to my television and computer, my insides turning inside-out, trying to rationalize what happened. I tried to keep in touch with all of my friends, and it was easiest to stay online to do so. The following Friday, I went into DC to my Archdruid's apartment in Dupont Circle. Some the members of our Order met us there and we held a prayer vigil that evening with candles, in plain view of the Washington Monument. It was at the same time millions of people throughout the world were doing the same thing.