where were you?

Ten years ago, today.

I was in 8th grade in Bartley’s art class. Watching the live coverage and worried ‘cause Mrs. Looper, aka Nell-Bows, was in downtown OKC and we hadn’t heard from her yet.

The TVs that Cox cable had provided were all turned on, all covering the news of the terrible event that had taken place that morning.

And I’m pretty sure I was busy on my final project.

God, that was a sad day. And what do you do as a measly little 8th grader? Cry yourself to sleep? Make out with your boyfriend? Write a letter? Or a book? Or a poem? Take precautionary measures? Or just get royally freaked out?

I chose the latter, I think. I didn’t do anything about it, but I chose the latter.

At that time, I remember things like earth club. And the science fair. Mrs. Compton and putting “all hope abandon ye who enter here” on her door. Doing crosswords in class and talking through Ms. McNulty’s class. The eighth grade dance with our tag-team party. And the short black sparkly dress I had that was made of fabric akin to a slinky, the way it hung when I jumped up and down. I still own the shoes that I wore to that dance ten years ago. And now I’m working on a graphic novel with my date to that dance—the dance where Mrs. Butts put up Mercedes signs instead of peace signs, and the girls all sat on one side of the table while the boys sat on the other at Chili’s.

It’s funny how it all takes you back. Sometimes the way the sun feels on my arms and face makes me think of working outside with Mrs. Wakeley and Jonathan and Anna trying to complete the garden at Edison. And then it makes me think of my granny pulling up to get us from school, driving the old turquoise “bat-mobile” caddy with a scarf wrapped around her head in a failing attempt to control her unruly hair. I will never be able to forget how my name sounds when she yells it to get my attention. Days where French fries, apple pies and Dr. Peppers from McDonalds made my day. I listened to Pearl Jam and the Offspring and the Beatles. Oh, and the oldies and some Christian Rock. Man, I was so conservative then. To think that all along Eddie was sorta kinda right. What a time that was. And all I had to worry about were boys and homework.

And oddly enough, now a large part of my worries today revolve around boys and homework. Oh, and money and work. And my sinuses. Sheesh.

I miss the X-files
My So-Called Life
Trips to the zoo (and getting to have an eagle perch on my arm since I was wearing an orange shirt)
Riding my bicycle
My big green formica table
Zink Park
Plastering my walls with posters and things that made me happy (and also with a censored letters to cleo poster)
Rainbow and Bluey
Lucky
My big window in my room that faced east (which I still use as a reference point for directions in Tulsa—oh, and PS, who knew I’d be moving east, huh?)
The pink dresser
Softball
Blue Bell Icecream
Searching for four-leaf clovers (I’ve found two in the past two months!)
And my family.

I think I’m going to have to make a trip to Oklahoma this summer. I miss it something fierce.