We all have one.
I had just entered my Senior year in college, and had just completed my first Radio Internship at KISS 108 in Boston. I was into my 2nd week in school, and being the lazy college student ...I was already running late to my 9:25am Mass Communications Class. My professor was Mr. Jabbar Al-Obaidi. Nicest guy, he was my Professor several times through college, and eventually my Mass Comm adviser and Senior year Mentor. His accent was thick, so sometimes he was a bit difficult to understand, but he had a vast knowledge in the field of Mass Comm, which was my Major.
I remember particularly about him on this day...because as an Arab in America, he feared for his life and his family's as people so quickly wanted to point fingers. His classroom presence changed on that day and for the weeks following, despite his best efforts in NOT allowing it to show, but people can be so unfortunately cruel.
I wasn't in class that morning. Like I said above, I was running late...as I ALWAYS do. Mike was still unemployed and at home on unemployment at this time. He was in the living room watching Tv..and I went to take a shower. Before I went in, he commented that some plane hit the Trade Center... "Oh wow"...i thought. Must have been a terrible accident. Tho I didn't think much else....actually, I thought he was referring to the Trade Center building in BOSTON at the time...and in my mind thought a plane must have missed Logan...what a tragedy. I went into my shower, a bit saddened about the plane crash.
When I came out, Mike shouted from the living room.... "ANOTHER PLANE JUST CRASHED!!!" ...I remember my heart jumping into my throat at this point... "What the fuck?" I thought... and my initial feeling was "We're under attack!". I quickly wrapped the towel around me and turned on the Tv in the bedroom while I got dressed for the day. Just as I was tuning in Mike shouts "NOW THE PENTAGON!" .... Oh My God.
I quickly got dressed, and the 2 of us glued ourselves to the TV in utter shock. We talked about terrorists, the poor lives of the innocent being lost....absolute terror. Wondered how our family was taking it....did everyone know? Should I go to classes? Our hearts raced a mile a minute, as did our minds as we sat together in our little one-bedroom apartment in Taunton.
I decided I should at least head to school....see whats going on. On the drive to class up Route 24...i tuned my radio to AM Talk Radio...in hopes of keeping up with everything. Another Plane crashed. I cursed....i got teary eyed. My heart became frustrated in emotions. I wanted to punch someone...or cry. I couldn't decide. I was also adrenaline pumped...and confused. This all seemed so surreal and like something from a bad movie.
I arrived to campus..students were buzzing about....some frantic....most OK...just a bit stunned. Upon entering the Campus Center, I was quick to learn that classes for the rest of the day had been cancelled. Students were gathered around the TV's in the upstairs lounge area...just standing or leaning up against the couches. Some crying..many talking in a low hush... ..EVERYONE seemed to be on their cellphones. I remember the TVs were all turned WAY up in volume. The news casts seemed to consume the building. We watched the people in NYC run from the flying debris.
The images of people choosing to JUMP to their death from high-rise windows rather than burn. That image will never leave my mind.
In small town Bridgewater, Massachusetts, we felt it.
I wasn't as much interested in the images on the TV though. I wanted to see my friends. My fellow students....in the WBIM studios, the usual suspects were all gathered. We sat on the couches in the studio office for a bit and talked. We weren't 100% sure WHAT to put on the airwaves... or who.
I wandered the building a bit. Visited some classes. Hung out in the computer lab for a bit, checked my school email accounts, finished up an essay. There was an email from Professor Al-Obaidi. It was brief, and a bit akward. I felt for him and his family... they were obviously NOT involved in any of this, but people can be and were already being, rude just because of his heritage.
For some reason, I didn't want to leave the Campus that day. I wanted to do SOMETHING. I felt helpless and useless. I wanted to HELP. But couldn't find any purpose....
A little after noon that day, the campus was getting pretty empty...a lot of students had gone home. I called and talked to my Mom at work for awhile. I headed home.
That evening, we stayed glued to the TV during dinner...much like the rest of the Country, I'm sure. We felt angry and sad. We gave blood in the days following. Lit candles, dedicated time to reading print & watching the news. Held a moment of silence at work.
The days following 9/11 though, i do remember feeling the utmost grateful feeling of Patriotism. Seeing American Flags flying EVERYWHERE brought me to tears at least once a day. I remember even seeing one randomly flying from the top of a crane amidst construction on Route 44 on my way to work the next day. Not sure why that one touched me so much...but it did. We flew one from the balcony of our apartment. We ordered static cling flags for our vehicle windows...and until they arrived, i had wedged a little flag onto my car antenna. Anything, anyhow...to show...I was PROUD to be an AMERICAN.
We have flown a flag from outside our home ever since.
No one fucks with us.
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