9-11-01

I have probably blogged about where I was on September 11th, 2001 already - but for some reason...this year I literally have spent all day thinking about it. Not sure why.

I was 21, living in Ruidoso, New Mexico with the Carey family. I was woken up by my roomate Carrie and the youth pastors daughter - can't remember her name right now. It was my day off and I had plans to sleep in...but I'm a light sleeper & I heard whispering in the hallway, then my door opens. Carrie informs me that an airplane crashed in NY into one of the towers. I'm thinking: That's just nuts, how could someone miss that tall building? She tells me that the youth pastor (can't remember his name either!) and his wife are upstairs watching the news in the kitchen.... How strange. This news is really causing people to get together before 8 in the morning? I make my way upstairs so I can be apart of the commotion. I can still remember the smell of this house - new, dust, construction like smells...the house was in it's final stages of being built. I sit myself at the bar in one of their tall chairs and get myself caught up w/what's going on. I don't think I blinked for 10 straight minutes. Look at that plane - INSIDE the building - it was the craziest thing I've ever seen. Within 15 minutes or so of me sitting there, the 2nd plane crashes into the 2nd tower...this was no accident. Is this really happening? My mouth is dry & I can't swallow.
All day today I've been thinking about: "What did I do next?" I can't remember. I can't remember leaving the kitchen. I can't remember any conversations I had about it. Nothing. I am blank. What I slightly remember is - going to work the following Thursday, and talking to my co-workers about the events that took place 2 days prior. We had the radio on overhead, instead of music...for our benefit, as well as the customers... But I can't remember anything else.