Obligatory

I feel that I will add to the growing number of September 11 blogs. If I didn’t live in NYC, I might not feel the need. But as you can imagine, there is no escaping this day when you are surrounded by those who lived it.

If I had been at my current job 5 years ago, I would have just gotten to work. 16 minutes later, I would watch the attacks through my office window. There is an empty space in the skyline that I have never seen filled because I had never been to NY until after 2001.

As it was, I was in my apartment in Davis, CA 5 years ago. It was a Tuesday so I had the day off from work and did not have to go to school until later. I had no idea anything had even happened until I ran into a friend while getting the mail. He said “Isn’t that crazy how the plane just went right into the building?” I had no idea what he was talking about, and he told me to go turn on my tv.

I was lucky because I did not know anyone that was in NY at the time. I was not one of the thousands making worried phone calls to loved ones, not being able to connect. I was not one of the millions of New Yorkers that were trapped in the area, away from the buildings but unable to get home. I was some clueless CA college kid.

This morning at 8:46 all activity stopped in my building, and I imagine it was the same for most of the city. An announcement for a minute of silence & reflection came over the PA system, interrupted only by an insensitive coworker asking “starting now?” There was no answer, so she stopped talking.

Suebob has done a lovely tribute to one of the people lost that day. Ghandi Rules did one about a survivor. Suzanne describes the day in detail. Please go read them. I’ll return to more light-hearted fare when the city around me is in greater spirits, and I can look at the sobbing faces without breaking down myself.