9/11-ish

 

Twenty years ago today I rolled into South Dakota after an all night drive. Just after sunrise we pulled into Mt. Rushmore and were greeted by a panicked forest ranger who told us we had to leave. The park was closed because someone just bombed New York City and they think the National Parks were next. We snapped a few quick photos and left.

I stayed in the van while everyone else went into a Rapid City Walmart. When they came out they said the only news they could get was that a plane had hit a skyscraper in NYC. We drove to Pierre for our show.

That night we met kids who would become good friends, played a good show and, as we loaded out our gear, we watched gas prices shoot up to $5 a gallon. Thank god that only lasted the evening.

We left the next morning for Omaha without a clear idea of what had happened. Along the way we saw flags draped over overpasses, lines at recruitment stations, military vehicles moving up and down the freeways and jets constantly flying above our heads. In Omaha we finally sat down to watch what happened on TV. I think we all thought we were watching a movie. It didnt seem real.

A year later, while enjoying a day off, we went to watch the Conan O'Brien show live in New York City. We spent the day walking around and looking at the damage. In the cracks and sides of sidewalks were pieces of computer casings and other office supplies that had been blown to bits, small chunks of Damaged buildings and lots of dust -dust in every crack of every sidewalk and every building. The buildings next to the towers were still draped in some sort of netting and there were what seemed like miles of fencing littered with notes and cards to missing loved ones from their families. Some of the most heart breaking shit I've ever read.

Sidenote - We got into trouble at the Conan show that night. why? Because we always got into trouble. It was never our fault, though.