I couldn't, with all that's gone on, write an entry like I usually do today. It's been ten years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and just walking across campus today, I can feel something different than what I've ever really felt on this campus. Just walking across the UP, the sight of the flag flying at half mast, the cadet marching vigils, and the hundreds of small flags arranged on the grass, it's hard not to feel moved and sympathetic for the people who have been living a decade without a loved one who they thought were just going to another day of work.
Ten years ago, I was in seventh grade. I remember that day that we were all called to our advisor's rooms with the rest of our classmates and that I was a little confused, but not nervous or anxious. I remember being shown the video of what had happened on a small TV in a little room, and watching everyone react. I had no family anywhere near NYC at that point, and I don't think I had really left NH except to visit Boston and some parts of Maine, so in all honesty, I don't feel like I can relate to many other people who can recall their exact thoughts and feelings at the moment they found out. Now, ten years later, I'm in my final year of college, getting ready to graduate, and I've been many different places. Vermont, New Orleans, Washington DC, Florida, Maryland, and NYC close to a dozen times. I went through my freshmen year and met lots of new people, some of which I know are from NYC, and my girlfriend's family even lives in Queens. I think I can honestly say that now, after all the people I've met and things I've done, I feel it more now, ten years after the fact, than I did on that day in 7th grade. It might not be much, but I want to offer my sincerest condolences to those most affected by the attacks. I want to thank all the people who were serving or chose to serve after September 11, 2001 in the United States Military. I want to thank Police, Fire, and Medical personnel who gave themselves to doing everything they could after the attacks. And I also want to thank the everyday civilians who volunteered themselves to help out in anyway they could, reminding everyone why we love living in America. Never Forget.
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I'm now officially through the first week of classes as a commuter student. It's Labor Day, meaning no classes, so I'm taking advantage of the day to finish up some assignments due for the rest of the week. And, of course, to procrastinate and make an entry for this blog. So thanks for the distraction. :)
Saturday night we celebrated the Feast of the Three Saints in Lawrence, MA all the way in Northfield, VT. There was much homemade Italian food and a few bottles of Italian wines. The party actually gave me a chance to practice my cooking a little bit more, and I made some bruschetta, funghi arrosti, and granita di limone. Plus, we got to try the least disgusting shot I've tasted in my life, layered to make the Italian colors: rosso, bianco, è verde! So yesterday was the recovery day, and today is the "do all the work I neglected to do earlier" day, and then tomorrow I'll be back to the normal routine again. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting a call in the next few days about a job, since I have no source of income right now. I'll let you know how things go. It'll be kind of a harkening to my high school days, since it's working at a deli, making subs and sandwiches. But as far as languaging goes! Picked up a slightly dated language learning software, courtesy of Norwich University's library, and installed that the other day, just for the lols. I put the languages I wanted to learn now, Italian and Japanese, and then some others for when I get sufficient with those two. I mean, I haven't really used it that much since, like I said, it's a little dated and I've been fairing pretty well with my own methods, but it's something I can use if I ever get stuck. And you can download the lists for almost any language you could ever want to learn through this thing. I downloaded the Hawaiian language lists. That's right, Hawaiian. I've never met or talked to another person who spoke Hawaiian, so I thought it might be fun someday. We'll worry about that when the time comes. Until then, it's back to my normal language strategy; just listening to loads of not-English. And the occasional studying of commonly used words. But this resume isn't going to edit itself, so I really should try to do something moderately productive today. Not that I don't like you but...I've never met you. For all I know, you could be some weird, creepy, antisocial rapist, but I guess that's the wonder of the internet. It's hard to discriminate when everything's so completely anonymous. In any case, have a great day and enjoy yourself, whether it's alone in a dark room or with a bunch of friends. In a dark room. |