Socks on the floor

Human memory is a bizarre thing. Of all the memories that come flooding back from a decade ago, the one thing that is foremost in my mind is the sound of my socks on the aqua green carpet of my dormitory hallway. I’d had 20 minutes or so to process what was happening before I decided to go to the lobby of my dorm and tell the desk attendant that America was under attack.

I had entered a Criminology class at 8 AM EST and emerged into a different world. Shortly after kicking my shoes off, I learned of strange happenings in NYC. And of all the events that followed, the most prominent sense memory I have is the shuffling of my socks on the dorm hallway floor, carrying news that was too much to bear.

Despite the repercussions of that horrible day, we will all live with our own memories. Let us remember the good, the indomitable force of the human spirit, that we saw that day. And let us aspire to meet that standard again.