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hildy89I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow. Like a NY friend of mine, there's a scared part of me that fears that tomorrow will feel just like any other. I waver badly between extremes about 9/11. Like many friends, I haven't quite gotten "over" that day, in spite of the fact that I didn't lose anyone. It's still *the* moment in my life, even more so than the Gulf War or the Berlin Wall coming down. I can remember exactly where I was... working an ultra quiet Tuesday. My boss popped his head in the door from a meeting and asked if we'd heard about the planes and WTC? We rushed to the Net and everything was down. A friend's newsgroup verified the worst, seeing it from her Manhattan office building. And then the horrible sight on the television... I won't be watching tv tomorrow. Or even tonight. Even ESPN was running 9-11 related memorial shows.
I've found that I can't watch the Tower footage at all. I was watching a documentary on the Munich Olympic massacre last weekend for the 30th anniversary of *that* dark September when they included the Twin Towers footage. I couldn't watch. I saw the hole in the Pentagon shortly after the attacks, so *that* attack has always felt more "real" to me. Then again, Arlington is in my hometown, as I'm being reminded seeing the "Arlington Remembers" posters up for the anniversary. My aunt used to work as a civilian for the Army at the Pentagon; after she received her PHD from USC, she took a teaching job at Fort McNair a month or two before 9-11. It was a little *too* close for home. No offense to New York, but there *were* other victims, 184 worth in *Virginia*, not Washington, D.C. (Yeah, I'm touchy about that subject.)
I've found myself testy about the whole uber-patriotic ultra Christian attitude that going around too. Is there some rule that the only "true" patriots believe in God? Fortunately as an apartment dweller I have fewer options for flags. A cab driver told me he thought I lived in an office building since we display both Virginia and American flags outside.
I occasionally skim through the magazine articles when I'm in the bookstores. It's hard to avoid 9/11 or the Towers in the bookstore now. I almost wish there was a "terrorism free" zone in the bookstore. I remember reading an article about a teenage girl who loves to watch the Food Network now, because they don't show her father's death in the WTC. I was caught off guard while reading the "Faces of Ground Zero" issue when there appeared, amongst all the firefighters and police, a picture of a figure skater, sister of a Flight 93 passenger. I seem to oddly watch a lot of Country Music Television lately. Every country artist has a song these days about being American and being proud of their hometown. Not that that's a bad theme, but why weren't we proud before? Why did it take *this*?
How will I remember the day? I'll be spending September 11, 2002, being pricked in the back by allergists again. I was a little startled when that date popped up on the appointment calendar, but the day goes on. I'll try to wear black if the weather cooperates. If it doesn't, I'll wear my "Arlington" shirt for my local pride. It's going to be weird though, not working in that same office or even living in the same place. Or not having my parents to rush home to...
Tomorrow is another day... but not quite like the others...
I've found that I can't watch the Tower footage at all. I was watching a documentary on the Munich Olympic massacre last weekend for the 30th anniversary of *that* dark September when they included the Twin Towers footage. I couldn't watch. I saw the hole in the Pentagon shortly after the attacks, so *that* attack has always felt more "real" to me. Then again, Arlington is in my hometown, as I'm being reminded seeing the "Arlington Remembers" posters up for the anniversary. My aunt used to work as a civilian for the Army at the Pentagon; after she received her PHD from USC, she took a teaching job at Fort McNair a month or two before 9-11. It was a little *too* close for home. No offense to New York, but there *were* other victims, 184 worth in *Virginia*, not Washington, D.C. (Yeah, I'm touchy about that subject.)
I've found myself testy about the whole uber-patriotic ultra Christian attitude that going around too. Is there some rule that the only "true" patriots believe in God? Fortunately as an apartment dweller I have fewer options for flags. A cab driver told me he thought I lived in an office building since we display both Virginia and American flags outside.
I occasionally skim through the magazine articles when I'm in the bookstores. It's hard to avoid 9/11 or the Towers in the bookstore now. I almost wish there was a "terrorism free" zone in the bookstore. I remember reading an article about a teenage girl who loves to watch the Food Network now, because they don't show her father's death in the WTC. I was caught off guard while reading the "Faces of Ground Zero" issue when there appeared, amongst all the firefighters and police, a picture of a figure skater, sister of a Flight 93 passenger. I seem to oddly watch a lot of Country Music Television lately. Every country artist has a song these days about being American and being proud of their hometown. Not that that's a bad theme, but why weren't we proud before? Why did it take *this*?
How will I remember the day? I'll be spending September 11, 2002, being pricked in the back by allergists again. I was a little startled when that date popped up on the appointment calendar, but the day goes on. I'll try to wear black if the weather cooperates. If it doesn't, I'll wear my "Arlington" shirt for my local pride. It's going to be weird though, not working in that same office or even living in the same place. Or not having my parents to rush home to...
Tomorrow is another day... but not quite like the others...
......
Date: 2002-09-11 07:01 pm (UTC)I just want to say: don't make unfair use of the name Christian. It is claimed by a lot more people than have a right to it.