I Remember

I remember Will and Wes walking into GISAT 113. "Did you hear?" Hear what? "Planes crashed into the World Trade Center. A plane crashed into the Pentagon. One is heading for the White House. None of our cell phones work. We heard it's because there are nuclear bombs set to be detonated by cell phone, so they're offline." I turned on my Palm to check the CNN feed via AvantGo, and sure enough, the lead story was Planes crash into WTC. All I remember reading of the story was "American Airlines" and "Los Angeles."

I remember going to one of the public phones in the building, calling home, and getting nothing but errors. I punched a wall.

I remember going back to class and taking notes. I don't remember what we discussed that day, and I can't check, because I have since discarded the notebook. I do remember, however, trying to study weeks later and barely being able to read what I had written.

I remember our professor dismissing us early. Dan and I wandered the building, eventually finding an open office with a crowd gathered outside. The TV was tuned to MSNBC, and it was there that I saw the first image of Manhattan with an impossibly large cloud of dust and ash where the Twin Towers should have stood. One professor said, "They have no idea what they've brought upon themselves." I heard "American Airlines" and "Los Angeles" again, and told Dan I had to go home.

I remember getting back to the dorm and hearing TVs turned on up and down the hall. I went into the room and turned on our TV while simultaneously opening I-don't-remember-how-many browser windows. I tried calling home again, and finally got through.

I remember Mom telling me that Aunt Sue was safe on the ground in Los Angeles. She wasn't sure when they'd be allowed to come home. We got off the phone and I broke down.

I remember Nina calling from home. She and Lindsey had been at an O-Town concert the night before, and she wanted to let me know that they and their parents were OK. I said I'd spread the word.

I remember spending the rest of the day in front of the TV and in front of the computer, repeatedly hitting F5.

I remember #k5. It was like watching every cable channel in the US simultaneously.

I remember nervousness over the possiblity of a war and a draft. I talked about going to Canada.

I remember worrying about what steps the government would take to control us, now that they had a reason.

I remember.