My birthday is right around the corner and it always makes me think of what has come before and what is ahead. I remember clearly as a 17 year old surfer on the cliffs of pleasure point in Santa Cruz, wondering what sort of person I would be when I was 50. Somehow, 50 was the age I always looked forward to...I always felt I would sort of hit my stride at that age. When the auspicious day finally came, I was living in Taos, New Mexico. I woke up and thought, "Wow! It finally happened, I'm 50! I wonder what today will bring.
I decided to take myself out to breakfast and just sort of let the day unfold. I went to the local coffee place, The Bean, and ordered my coffee and breakfast and just listened to the conversations around me as I sat expectantly...all my senses watching how the day was developing. At the table next to me I heard a bit of the conversation, something about a small plane had crashed into the World Trade Center...then, a little later it became known it was an airliner....Then, shortly afterward, another plane hit the other tower of the Trade Center, and it became clear what was happening. Along with everyone else, I just became kind of numb as the news came out. Eventually many of us ended up down at Walmart watching repeating footage of the planes hitting the buildings and people jumping to their deaths, and eventually, the collapse of the two towers, on a bank of 15 or so television sets in the Walmart electronics department. By noon on my 50th birthday I was just stunned and speechless. After that, September 11th, which had always been just my birthday, took on a whole new meaning around the world. One thing is for certain...I will never forget my 50th birthday.
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