where were you?

[oZoneRanger]

I had been working for a TV news station for a number of years as Photojournalist/editor/producer. The station was getting bought out and I knew I was already on my way out the door for a number of reasons. I had two weeks left on my contract. I left my part time Bartending job and rode my bike home. No keys when I get home, I left them in a friends car earlier in the day...No phone so...back to the bar to use the phone...on the way there, I splash my bike on the side walk and split my hand wide open. Long story short, I call my friend and get my keys and a ride to the hospital, I get stitched up, its now about 7am and I call the AM NewsDirector and tell him that the Docs have told me to stay off my hand, not lift any weight with it, keep it elevated. He says how long am I going to be out, I said the Doc said 2 weeks, he said, then why don´t you just take the Vacation time you got and we can all part ways. I said I was cool with that. I hop on a bus and ride home. I left the TV on for the cat I had at the time. Between, the pain pills, the joint I had smoked waiting for the bus, I was a bit looped. When I opened the door, I could see the TV and I wondered what was Die Hard doing playing this early in the morning. Then I hear Matt Laure and Katie Curick...and I said shit, that is live. I was reaching for the phone to call my Brother, and I saw the second plane hit, I sat and watched for a few minutes trying to make sense of it and the phone rings.....Its my News Director, telling me that they need me back at the station asap, that they got to send me to NY in the SAT truck, that its the biggest story of the century.....I just hung up with out saying anything, it was my last day working as a Journalist/Photog. I was thankful that life had set about a series of coincidences to allow me a way out of having to cover that story.

A few hours later, the Prez is about to come on TV. Right before it, there is a Public Service commercial from local law enforcement...it stated that if you "Smoke Weed, you are aiding Terrorism". I was like wow, that was really fast, has not been 5 hours since the towers came down and Pot smokers are now the same as Terrorist. Right after that, Bush gives his, "You are with us or against us" line, and I was still smoking the same Joint as when the commercial aired. I left the US six months later.