Where was I. Lets see I was getting dressed for an event but not a happy one. We were going to pay our respects to a wonderful father, grandfather, husband, veteran. My best friend's grandfather had passed away a couple of days before and today was the funeral service. I was standing in my bedroom in our little college apartment near LSU. I had just pulled on my black skirt when I heard my other best friend frantically yelling for me to come see. She had turned on the Today show, I think, while she dressed and was staring in horror at the burning north tower of the World Trade Center. I didn't even hear what they were saying all I understood was a plane had hit it just minutes ago. As they were reporting what was going on and her and I was talking, a plane came into view and crashed into the south tower. I stood there with my best friend, jaw slacked as the realization of what was happening sunk in. I honestly don't know how long we both just stared at the chaos but there we were half dressed about to go to memorial service as our nation was being attacked. Finally she said we have to go we are going to be late.
The funeral was not close to where we were...it was about a 2 hour drive from us in a place we call "down tha bayou". We drove down a deserted I10. It was the eeriest thing I have ever experienced up to this point. We drove in silence as we listened to the only thing on the radio. . .the breaking news. Another plane had crashed into the Pentagon and yet another in a field in Pennsylvania. They were talking about how President Bush was on Airforce One bouncing form Air Force Base to Air Force Base until the threat was contained. At one point it was reported that he had landed in Shreveport but had already departed. After an hour or so of this her and I had had our fill of horror. We knew we would have to be there for our other Best Friend. . .so we turned it off and put in an N'Sync CD to try to clear our heads. As we arrived down the bayou we saw an area cornered off by state police and armed troops. This caused us immediate dread and to turn the radio back on to see what else had happened. To our horror we were informed that the towers had fallen. It was surreal. I was just there 2 years before, looking out from the observation deck with my step mom and step brothers. How can this be happening?
The funeral went on as if the days events weren't happening. Although it was stated numerous times that they were glad he passed before this happened because being a decorated veteran and proud American seeing this would have killed him. At the grave site we were informed why we saw the troops and state police. Turns out there is some sort of oil reserve in the area and it was deemed a possible secondary target.
It's crazy the memories that stick with you during such a traumatic event. I watched my friend's grandmother breakdown. She threw herself atop the casket weeping. At the gravesite we stood there with our two friends as their grandfather was put to his final rest. Of course we were teary eyed and were thankfully wearing sunglasses. . . their great Aunt walked up to us and thanked us for coming for them. . .then she made me crack up laughing (which I had to fake as a cough). She came up to me and said "you look very pretty, I really like that skirt." Thanks :). Then she said "You know I am a seamstress right? Well if you need me to show you how to fix a hem I'd be more than happy to." And she grabbed the glistening silver staple I had used to fix the hem and winked. In all the chaos of the morning I didn't have time to stitch the falling hem so I stapled it thinking no one would notice.
I remember every detail of that day. 10 years later and I can recall it like it was yesterday. Who knew when we woke up on 9/11/2001 our world would be forever changed.
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