Life goes on. It has to. It seems that on Tuesday, the world stopped. The world stopped and turned its eyes to a city that doesn't sleep. To the building that defended our country. To a field in a rural county.
On Wednesday we started going back. Back to work, back to school (though not around here). Our thoughts were elsewhere, but we took those first few steps to normalcy.
It's now almost a week later. But each time I get into downtown Bethesda, I think, "This is where I first heard about it." My mind replays standing in the hallway, listening in horror. I tear up watching video tributes on VH1 and MTV, to songs called "Hallelujah" and "Overcome."
I bought two flags from a guy selling them on the streets of D.C. I went for docent training at the Smithsonian and had to have my bag searched. The Mall was deserted. The museum was eerily quiet.
Almost a week later, and life is slowly returning to normal. I'm getting my crowns done today--an appointment originally scheduled for last Tuesday. I'm doing homework. I'm working. We hide in shows like The Brady Bunch and movies like Beach Party. It's amazing reading on the forums how many people watched The Brady Bunch in the last week. We're hiding in an idealized past, where the horrors of Vietnam were glossed over into concerns of whether Greg sold out by ditching his brothers and sisters and becoming Johnny Bravo.
We were forced onto a path last week and we don't know where it will end. But we've come together. We may have different opinions on many things, but the solidarity shown in the country is heartening. There may be dark days ahead, but we'll get through them with help from our friends, our families, and the kindness of a lot of strangers.
Posted by Barb at September 17, 2001 02:21 PM | TrackBack