Where Were You Dad?

Last week my daughter was learning about 9/11 in school. She came home and asked me where I was when I found out about the twin towers getting hit. I remember that day very well. That was a weird time for sure. I was eating breakfast getting ready to head to school. I mindlessly turned on the TV as background noise while I was eating and reading the paper. The TV was on NBC and they were talking about a fire at the World Trade Center. A lot of speculation of what it could be. During that speculation the second plane hit, and my cereal and paper would sit next to me for a couple of hours untouched after that. I ended up missing my first class of the day after I saw the news, and I never made it to class as I was glued to the TV like many Americans. So much changed on that day. Once the second plane hit you knew that it was no accident, and that everything would change. At the time you didn’t know how much more was going to happen. The unease of that day is something that I will never forget. The sky is full of planes and how many more would become weapons? At the time we had no idea. It is hard to explain all of those complex emotions from the day to a kid who is just shy of ten. I was hundreds of miles away, and that day has been seared into my mind. I cannot imagine what it is like for those who were so close to the events of that day. The where were you question has been asked for years. For our generation it is 9/11. For our parents it was the Kennedy assassination. For their parents it was Pearl Harbor. I don’t know if my answer to her was good enough. I hope that she never has to answer a similar question for her kids.

A Somber Photo

I always struggle with making photos of the unfinished P on campus. It is not a happy monument for sure. Here though I thought that the light made for a good photo. On a day of reflection it is a good place on campus to remember.