Everybody has one, here's mine.


Four years ago at this time, I was riding shotgun in a speeding truck with a chica of mine. She's from Texas too, but was living in DC then. I was jobless and there for a visit. When I'd bought the return ticket, I had a choice of a 10 am or 5 pm flight out on September 11. I didn't feel like I'd want to get up that early, so I picked the evening flight.

That morning, another chica of ours had called us up, telling us to turn on the news. The phone call woke us up and we were sure it was a joke. The first thing I saw when I woke up that morning was the smoking Pentagon. The next thing I did after picking my jaw up off the floor was start packing. She did too.

There was no discussion or planning. We knew what we had to do: get back to Texas.

We didn't know what was going to happen, we didn't know if there were ground troops, we didn't know if there would be roadblocks, but we did know that we were going to make it back to where that Lone Star was flying or die in the attempt.

By the next day we were kissing the soil of the Republic.

Don't hate me because my fortune cookie came true.

Comments

V said…
Thanks very much. :)

I'm thinking about turning it into a country-western song.
10:51 PM
Latigo Flint said…
Texas is our center--our foundation, our bouncer, our rock. The wing coasts forget it 'till they need you. They've needed you before, and probably will again.
2:14 AM
Azathoth100 said…
I remember that day all to well. I was supposed to go to NY the next week with a friend of mine to go sight seeing...Staue of Liberty, Empire State building, and the Twin Towers were the top 3 things on our list.
10:01 PM
V said…
Well, Latty, I say Republic. But I s'pose at that time or this, it's best we all stick together. I do appreciate your sentiments, though. I guess that is kinda where we fit in.

Yet another vacation ruined by terrorists, Aza. I love DC and I'd probably have stayed three more days, too.

Thanks, Amanda. That's how I felt about it. :)
5:01 PM
Julie said…
That would have really freaked me out. My sister lives in Manhattan and her b/f worked in the towers and went back inside his apt to change his shirt b/c he didn't like how it looked, so his vanity made him late to work and saved his life, but it took him a few hours to be able to get in touch w/ my sister so she was freaking out. I'm glad you were safe.
9:54 PM
V said…
Yay vanity! ;)
9:30 PM
Meadow said…
Wow. That's too close for comfort. Glad you were safe!
10:56 PM
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