Blue skies... U2.... and a very jarring day

Five years ago today, which was actually a Tuesday, I remember stepping out of the Farragut North Metro and thinking "What a gorgeous day!" U2's "Beautiful Day" was ironically playing on my discman (no Ipod back then) as I walked to my month old internship at 2033 K St. I was wearing a red sleaveless shirt, flowy gray pants and gray shoes. Grad school was only a couple weeks new. I arrived at the office around 8:50. Carolini said "A plane hit the World Trade Center." That sucks, I thought (ignorantly assuming it was a prop plane). Then another plane hit the other tower. Then a phone call came in from Kevin's wife: "Jill was sitting in traffic on I-395 and just saw a plane hit the Pentagon. I'm leaving." Cell phone was on the fritz. We sat there, sort of numb, not knowing what to make of what was happening. Rumors were flying. "THERE'S A FIRE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT!" "SOMEONE BLEW UP THE CAPITOL!" We wanted to go home. Cell phone was on the fritz. But the big boss Jim said "If you go home, the terrorists will win! They want you to go home!" The building management evacuated the building. It was a mass exodus outside. No one wanted to ride the metro. Cell phone was on the fritz. I went to Joao's house to eat feojoada and watch the events unfold on TV. One of his roommate's sister worked in the World Trade Center. Cell phone was on the fritz. A couple hours later, that nervous wreck found out she was safe. The only comic relief was when W finally came on the TV, someone said "Don't mess with Texas!" Finally - I was able to talk to Nana and tell her that everything was ok and I was ok. Tell Dad. She told my dad, who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I decided by about 3:00 that it was ok to get on the metro. I walked down the ghost town of K Street - F-15 fighters and helicopters flying overhead. I called my mom. I got on the metro. I rode to Wheaton and met my roommates. We watched TV all day. Nothing changed. That night, we could see the smoke from the Pentagon - and we lived about 20 miles away.

And now, terrorists are still alive and kicking and Osama is still chillin' in a cave somewhere. The only difference? The U.S. is paranoid about everything - from darker skinned/haired people to chapstick and Iraq is in anarchy. I have an MA and am gainfully employed with benefits.