It was my first semester back at Utah State after my mission. I was living in Rich Hall. I got ready for the day like any other, then walked over to the computer lab at the Lundstrom Center to print out a paper for my English 2010 class. As I walked up to the front desk to pay for my printouts, I noticed a group of students congregating around the big screen TV in the commons area. I asked the girl at the desk if she knew what was going on. She told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
I am somewhat ashamed to admit that this seemingly ridiculous announcement initially elicited a brief chuckle. Of course, as I began to process what she had said, confusion and concern immediately followed. I watched the news reports for a few minutes before heading to an institute class. It was there I learned that the twin towers had now collapsed.
July 1986My later classes were canceled, and I spent the rest of the morning getting caught up on the day's tragic events. Watching the reports, the imagery of New York brought many thoughts of growing up on the east coast, particularly a field trip to the big city with my fifth grade class. Our day-long visit included a marathon elevator ride to the top of one of the twin towers. The elevator moved so fast that when it started to slow down as it neared the top, it felt like you were falling.
Later in the fall of 2001 when the baseball playoffs arrived, the usually hated Yankees unofficially became America's team. The initials NYPD and FDNY were everywhere. A tattered flag that was exhumed from Ground Zero was proudly flown at Yankee Stadium during the World Series. Although the Yankees eventually fell to the Diamondbacks, games 3-4-5 in the Bronx still stand as some of the most amazing baseball I have ever witnessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment