Keep in mind, this was before the horror of it all sunk in…
[ul][li]“Dammit, now people are going to listen to Bush!”[/li][li]“How could they close Disneyland?”[/li][li]Mental pictures of what would have happened if the WTC towers had fallen over instead of straight down.[/li][li]Analogy of a bee and a lion; a lion doesn’t notice a bee… until it stings it. Then the bee gets squashed.[/ul][/li]
No one has been in their right mind after this atrocity, but what weird stuff have you found rattling around in your head in moments of, well, weirdness?
I’m a paralegal at a telecommunications law firm, and some of our clients had antennas on top of the WTC. One of the things I thought when the buildings collapsed was “Oh, shit. I’m going to have to file applications to modify all those licenses now.”
I always feel a little hypocritical about being appalled at what Pat Robinson and people like that say at times like this (see numerous threads in the BBQPit) because the awful-est things went through my head too.
[ul]
[li]Just when we need to talk about the economy and the “wage gap”, Bush gets a pretty little war dropped right in his lap to distract all of us.[/li][li]I’m so glad I got off the last plane ride for my summer last weekend[/li][li]No more Condit on the news.[/li][/ul]
These are the ones I’m not too ashamed to share.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Esprix * [ul][li]Mental pictures of what would have happened if the WTC towers had fallen over instead of straight down.[/ul][/li][/QUOTE]
Over and over and over again.
Second thing rattling around upstairs was “Will they open the airports before I leave for my trip (18 Oct)?”
Something along the lines of: “I’ve been to New York about six times in my life. Never visited the World Trade Center. Always assumed that I’d have a chance to do it later. Or at worst, that I might die before I got there. Never thought that the World Trade Center itself might be gone before I could get there.”
I didn’t hear about the tragedies until mid-afternoon on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, I had ordered an English textbook from the Barnes and Noble web site, and after I heard that four planes had been deliberately crashed and that the FAA grounded all flights in the country, my first thought was that my shipment would have to be delayed until after the weekend.
Upon reflection, I started thinking about what I would have done differently if I had planned the attack. Things like scheduling the crashes within a narrower timeframe, crashing lower into the towers, and targetting the White House.
Then I messaged my sister in D.C. asking her about the Barnes and Noble situation, and promptly got cussed out by her friend who had been in the Pentagon that morning.
While watching the tower start to collapse in on itself in seemingly slow-motion I had such a sureal feeling of helplessness and horror I actually started hoping Superman would appear and freeze the building back solid.
One of my roommates was given the assignment in one of her classes to argue the case that terrorism was an effective means of political change, and therefore, in some sense, “justified”. (Other students got the other side of the argument.)
I remember thinking, “Poor girl is going to fail that assignment.”
One of my first thoughts, other than the usual rage, sorrow, and curiosity for details, was “I wonder who’s gonna use this to further their political agendas first?”
After that, I realized it was Tuesday, and my entire city (New York) was F’ed up. Since Tuesday is the night my roleplaying group meets, I thought “Shit, the game is probably cancelled. As if I’m not depressed enough already.”
A fleeting thought was, “They changed my skyline. Motherfuckers. Are they allowed to change the Manhattan skyline?”
Possibly the most noble thoughts I’ve had so far had to do with my inability to help. I can’t lend physical assistance because they won’t let anybody near and I’m damaged goods anyway. I can’t give blood because I’m on antibiotics right now, and I also have some sort of cold (separate problem from the prescription drugs). I can’t donate money because I’m unemployed and on the fast track towards broke. Still, I think those are pretty selfish thoughts, even though they’re focused on helping others.
Lately, I’ve been looking for entertainment instead of news. If there are any major developments I’ll hear about them, but I need bread and circuses more than I need to sharpen this grim mood I’m in.