The inevitable Where Was I on 9/11? post

I was in the lobby of downtown Savannah's historic Lucas Theater, waiting to buy tickets to an upcoming Penn and Teller show. They were to be Christmas presents for my best friend and her boyfriend--I got one for myself, too. It was the first time I'd been in the theater--it had just been through a multi-million dollar restoration. It was gorgeous, too, an old-style venue, what you think when you recall those days when everyone went to the theater on Saturdays. (The show was in January and it was every bit as fun as I had expected--and those expectations were quite high. If you have a chance to see Penn and Teller, go. You'll have a blast.)

I was on vacation from work, and I lived right around the corner from the theater, so I had walked over. In the lobby the attendant sitting in his little booth looked at me strangely, like he couldn't imagine someone coming in and buying tickets. I hadn't turned on a TV that day, and I had only checked email online, so I didn't know why. Until I turned around and saw where someone had set up a TV in the lobby and it was on. I turned around just in time to see a replay of a video showing the second plane flying into one of the Twin Towers.

I completed my business and walked home in a daze, turned on the TV and watched the news in horror. I got online and went to a chatroom where a bunch of my online friends hung out--most of them were at work so I'd give updates when CNN had any.

Ten years later, I have definite opinions about the official reaction, how it was handled, all that. Maybe you would agree, maybe not. I feel like, probably not. I feel like, with the erosion of personal freeedom for the sake of security, the terrorists accompished at least part of what they wanted to do. I also continue to be horrified at what people are willing to do to other people in the name of their religion. Look, if you decide to dedicate your life to following the alleged teachings of some invisible creature--Allah, Jehovah, whatever--at least read the damned book upon which your religion is supposed to be based.

You'd be amazed how rarely people can be bothered to do that. Or, maybe not.