When a Tornado Strikes

September 11th should have hit me harder than it did. But today was a powerful day. I think Ian put it best when he said something to the effect of: “if I were a religious person, I’d think God were telling me not to take our lives for granted.”

It’s hard not to feel like we’re being tested. I’m less than 20 miles from the Pentagon. And then today…today a tornado swept through my campus and wrecked my quad, hundreds of cars, and a few buildings, causing millions of dollars of damage. This month has been surreal.

Today I feared for all my friends in College Park, and I feared the destruction of my possessions… I felt in danger of losing, well, everything. And it was scary.

A tornado. Ever had a tornado hit your room? Your life? No, the only thing the tornado hit today was my campus. So far as I know now, no one around me and none of my possessions have been affected. But this day will be another day to remember.

Thank you for those of you who helped me during the awful chain of events: Ian and Justin, for giving me places to crash and think; and Kim, for hearing me out and being right by my side.

Goodnight. Let tomorrow be a quiet day.