9/11 23 Years On

I have nothing of any value to say, but I thought I should at least acknowledge the day.

Like many people, I remember 9/11 well. I remember, before anything happened, commuting to campus from Charlottesville. I was riding in the back of the car, and marveling at how blue and beautiful the sky was. I remember seeing a hawk hunting in the highway median. It's just odd that I remember something (though just one thing) so vividly from before the attack... 

I also remember my friend Beth (with whom I had also been commuting) stalking down the hallway from the sociology department, very determinedly, jerking her thumb over her shoulder and saying...jeez, I used to remember exactly what she had said...something like Did you hear about this plane that hit the World Trade Center?

There was a guy, Jim, in Soc who had a tv in his office, and a bunch of us went in there and watched it. We were watching as the North Tower Collapsed. Of course we were all horrified. The chair of PHIL/REL was sitting next to me, and I remember her bewildered comment that it fell like it was a controlled demolition. Everybody noticed that. It was just one of many tiny details that added to the surreal nature of the day.