I had two classes at UH today. Neither were cancelled, but both Professors briefly talked about the event at the beginning of class and expressed remorse. Inside Melcher Hall there were many people packed around the TV watching the events unfold. My wife called me at approximately 8:54 am this morning telling me to turn on the television because a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I thought (in a half-asleep daze) "How could they not see that giant building?" I turned on the TV, hung up with the wife, and was glued to the set until I had to leave for school at 11:30. I actually saw the second plane hit the second tower live. I was in disbelief. Then came the reports about the Pentagon, then Camp David (although the jet did not reach its target). I tell you there are things that happen in life that you'll never forget. I remember watching the first shuttle launch in the 5th grade. It was like something out of "Star Trek". I also remember walking into Eisenhower (January 28th, 1986) and hearing about the Challenger exploding. I thought that it had to just be someone's idea of a bad joke. I think seeing the footage of the shuttle explosion for the first time just a few moments later, felt just like watching that second plane hit the second tower of the World Trade Center. Utter disbelief.... I think hearing about the Oklahoma Federal building was similar and to a slightly lesser extent watching the Branch Davidian complex burst into flames. Just surreal, and such a great loss of innocent lives.
I just started working for Andersen last week, and yesterday was my first day at an actual client site (a subsea contractor). We got there around 7:45, and the news broke around 8:00. One of the employees there received word over the telephone, and we hooked up TV's to watch the rest of the tragedy. No one made jokes, but it was kinda wierd to hear some of the reactions from the client employees. Most of them had an engineering backround, and they were amazed at the structural design of the WTC. They said the buildings were designed well because most buildings would have folded over and destroyed other buildings while collapsing. I remember when the Challenger blew up as well. I was in elementary school, and we all went outside and cried.
Today I had a pretty moving moment in my Human Sit class at U of H. The prof first discussed the natural reactions of people from horror to anger and the real lack of time taken to feel sad before you feel anger. He passed out lyrics to "Bang the Drum Slowly" by Emmylou Harris and let us read them before he asked us (around 100 students) to stand while he played the song. So there everyone was standing in this auditorium, listening to this song. I just stood there thinking of all of the firemen, policemen, and medics that died while trying to save others, I thought of the people that were falling from the buildings, and I thought of the cries in the background of the video footage of the crashes. It was hard to hold back the tears, but I looked around and saw quite a few people crying. Then the song ended, and this large auditorium was totally silent for a good couple minutes. It was a pretty somber moment. I guess my generation is the generation that's been surrounded with cynicism towards government and a lack of appreciation for the country we live in. I've asked myself many times in the past if I would be willing to die for my country, I never really could find an answer. During that moment of silence in that auditorium, I finally found my answer...I would die tomorrow if it could help ensure the safety of this wonderful country...
