5 Years

September 12, 2001

Yesterday was unreal. The worst terrorist attack ever on the United States - three planes - two taking out the two World Trade Center Towers in New York and one taking out part of the Pentagon. Another plane in Pennsylvania crashed before it could reach its target. Possibly over 10,000 dead.

The whole world has descended into the quagmire - violence against Arab-Americans. People I know, yet its all surreal. Like a scene out of Indepedence Day. I don't understand the permanence. Total distance from the situation yet shock at seeing heavily armed policemen.

A combination of respect and admiration and inexplicable loss as the local Ford dealer removes it balloons and banners and posts one simple message on its huge lit marquee, "Our condolences to the families of the victims."

My inexplicable urge to gather all my friends close and hold them, to call my ex and put my arms around him. To listen to others vent and to talk to them as if somehow this will make it better.

The world has changed - it's about hate and revenge. Maybe it's naivete that kept it unthinkable for so long, but it changes everything. This will be like the Challenger, like the JFK assassination for the kids of the 50's and 60's. The event where you remember in painstaking detail where you were and what you were doing when you heard.

My problems seem so trival now compared to the rest of the world.