Remembering....

I don't have the best memory, but there are some days that impact your life in such a profound way, you know life as you know it will be changed forever, and you cannot forget.

I remember it was a Tuesday morning sophomore year of college, my first class of the day, women and gender studies, began at 1030am.

I remember I was still in bed when my phone rang around 950am. My mother was on the other end hysterical "Turn on the TV, the World Trade Center..."

I remember being confused by what she was telling me.

I remember getting out of bed,  putting clothes on and going to our student union.

I remember sitting there with other students, right outside the food court, watching the television in disbelief. Many of us crying, wondering how this could possibly be happening. We were all in shock.

I remember thinking that what I was seeing couldn't possibly be reality, I mean, who would crash a plane into a building? What kind of monster would do something so horrific?

I remeber thinking the media was crazy for thinking this could be some kind of accident. Planes don't accidentally crash into buildings.

I remember the footage of the first plane colliding with the tower playing over and over again.

I remember thinking it can't get worse, then on live television the second tower exploded. We quickly find out the impossible has happened, not one, but two planes have hit the towers. Flights 11 and 175.

I remember riping myself away from the TV so I wouldn't be late for class. Getting there and the instructor calling off class.

I remember 30 minutes later panic set in when the Pentagon was hit. What's next?

I remember sitting there feeling powerless, not able to drag myself from the images. 

I remember being horrified hearing people were leaping to their death in an attempt to escape the inferno.

I remember seeing the images replay in my head over and over and over again.

I remember realizing we, as a nation, would never be the same. 

I remember trying to figure out how our nation, one I felt was so powerful and invincible, could have been attacked like this.

I remember thinking to myself I will never, ever, get on a plane again.

I remember the fear, helplessness, insecurity and utter sense of loss I felt.

I will never forget

Reform?

Ahhhhh heath care reform. I'm not going to get all political here, or give my personal opinion on the current reform congress is discussing. I would, however like to address the pharmaceutical industry, or rather the lack of addressing the pharmaceutical industry in the heath care reform discussion. 

I believe they play a MAJOR role in the problems we as a country face when discussing heath care reform. How is it okay to charge someone hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a medication that they need to stay alive? You cannot convince me it costs these companies that much to produce the medication they are selling us.Wouldn't it be advantageous for people to afford the medication that is going to prevent them from having a heart attack, instead of having them pay for the ER visit when they have the heart attack? I'm using a heart attack as an example, but there are many many other illnesses, and major medical problems that could be prevented by addressing the inflation of the prices of prescription medications by pharmaceutical companies I don't know how the CEO's of these companies sleep at night, and it disturbs me that this is not being addressed,  and probably wont be. 

steps off of soapbox