Just A Short Word in 2015

Seems weird to think that kids who are starting high school now may have only been an infant when 9/11 happened. Honestly, although I was 14 and other stuff was affecting me at the time (I had been raped about 7 weeks earlier and had just found out I was pregnant from it), I really only think about 9/11 now because my father was in the Pentagon that day. He had planned to retire in 2003 and come back to where my mom and I still lived near Dayton, Ohio after finishing out 2 years at the Pentagon, his last station. My parents didn’t want to uproot me right before high school, otherwise we all would’ve moved out to Alexandria, VA (where dad was living). So mom and I were alone in Ohio and we didn’t hear from dad until the following Saturday… As in, the 15th.

That whole time period traumatized me. I’ve mentioned it to my counselor (who keeps forgetting… Every time I say that the few days I thought my dad was dead during 9/11, she acts like it’s the first time she’s heard it… I miss my old counselor). With the other struggles I was going through, it all left a mark. Granted, dad was near but not in the wing that was hit. Cell phones were unreliable and he was in shock which is why he never called. Apparently he didn’t even know so many days had passed.

But the day is now no different than Veterans Day, maybe even less celebrated (well, not “celebrated” but perhaps “observed”). I will never stop mentioning it in these places, though. I only slightly mentioned it to mom. To be honest, we would all like to move on. And luckily we can move on better than others, since dad eventually did call.

Anyway.

Talked to Jamie at work about hours. We will see what happens. Apparently the PNC bank near me is hiring. I really don’t want to work at a bank but… I could literally walk there. Ugh, none of my nice “work” clothes fit me anymore, though. And I don’t have money to buy a new wardrobe.

We also still don’t have a working washer at the apartment and I’m running out of underwear. May have to hand wash them on Sunday. All of the laundromats near me that I know of are sketchy as hell. One is even a tanning salon/laundromat combo ! Ick.

~Rachel

Last updated September 12, 2015