it's a completely different world for me up in salem, a different life. but I'll get to that later.


molly, I know.

when september 11th happened freshman year, I didn't know how to react. I was supposed to get my haircut that afternoon. the world was collasping around us and I didn't know how to sit in maggies and make small talk. I was worried about dad and terrified to watch tv. I was angry at the school for the vague office announcements and reassurances. the history teachers made bulliten boards, and we talked about it in soft voices.

later, the united we stand stickers faded, and the car-window flags grew tattered. we woke up in a war, and were still too shocked and scared to ask too many questions.
weapons of mass destruction.
code red.
the war on terror .
our parents and grandparents had lived in fear of atomic bombs.
we opened our mail carefully. we watched the skies.

I tried to write about this yesterday. I watched the news for the first time in months, and shared a televised moment of silence with the crowd at Ground Zero. I stopped in front of campus police, where the flag was at half-mast. no one even noticed.

walking home from school, I used to count the flags on the cars as they drove past. no one has flags anymore.


I don't care for political debates, not now. I don't want to talk about political aspirations or the president, or the pledge of alligence. but yesterday was the five year anniversary and no one said a thing about it here, either.

ash @ 10:32 PM