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I was a sophomore at CU-Boulder, a few weeks into my first year out of the dorms and living in an apartment with some girlfriends. It was a Tuesday and I had a 9:30 class, which I was desperately late for. I rolled out of bed in a hurry, briefly noting that my alarm radio contained a lot of “talk radio” instead of the usual music, but I didn’t have the time to process the difference to my daily routine. I grabbed my backpack, and as I was running out my front door, my roommate Jen said, “Oh wow, something is going on in New York City. A plane is crashing into buildings.” I stopped for a moment, acknowledging what she said but not processing it. It wasn’t until I arrived on campus for my Weather and the Atmosphere class that I realized the gravity of the situation. My professor, who was typically hyper and oddly bizarre, was subdued and quiet. He sat on the podium, his head hanging down and his shoulders slumped. In a class of a couple hundred students, his silence and infused sadness radiated out until we were all quiet. Even the football players in the back row, usually rowdy and out-of-control, didn’t say a word. He briefly explained the situation, and then sent us all home for the day. Class was cancelled. His last words to us as we shuffled out the door were, “If you have any family or loved ones in New York, or anywhere really, you might want to give them a call.”
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As I walked over to the bike racks where I had locked my bike, I ran into Steve, the guy who I had just started seeing. He was headed home to his house on The Hill,so I fell into step with him. We turned on the tv when we got inside his living room, and I just remember being horrified. The towers were collapsing, and I finally grasped the enormity of the day. The U.S. was under attack. Thousands of innocent people were going to die.
It’s been 10 years since September 11, 2001, but my memories are just as vivid today as they were a decade ago. As I sit here and type this, I think of the 3000 individuals who lost their lives in the tragedy; I think of the utter hatred and intolerance that motivated the attacks. It still makes my heart bleed with sorrow.
Today, as you go about your day, enjoying this beautiful Colorado weather (or wherever you may be), please remember to give your loved ones an extra hug or a phone call, just to let them know you are thinking of them.
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And always remember.