Song From An American Movie -Art Alexakis (from the cd, Everclear - Songs From An American Movie Vol. One: Learning To Smile)

I haven't really had the chance to write much lately. My mind has been preoccupied with the events that went down in New York and Washington last week. I was at work listening to the radio when it happened. I recall I heard it first on 98 Rock from of all people Kirk Mceowen the goof ball kid brother of CBS morning weatherman Mark Mceowen.

He reported that a light plane had hit the World Trade Center. This was odd because he’s not the newsperson he’s more or less a comedian. At first it was thought to be a pilot error but he kept saying that he thought it was odd because it was a clear day outside. He speculated that it was a possible terrorist attack but the other DJ’s were telling him not to go around speculating without facts. Then the other plane hit and it was no doubt what was going on. Then the next thing I knew there were reports that planes were attacking DC I felt as though we were all under attack.

That this was the day that we had all dreaded happening. The day that life as we know it came to an end. The majority of the people that I was working with wanted to leave work early because they were releasing their children early from school. I stayed overtime that day because I was scared and quite frankly I dreaded heading into traffic. When I came home it was like a Sunday. The light rail trains that I take in and out of work were nearly deserted. The streets heading into the city were deserted and traffic was non-existent.

The drug dealers that normally line the corners of Baltimore were no where to be found. Everyone was glued to the television to hear the latest word. All of the radio stations that I listen to were playing back to back news coverage. It was truly unprecedented. The first song I heard played that day was on 102.7’s Oldies Station at around 6pm they played John Lennon’s, “Imagine”. I felt like crying when I heard it. I found it apropos. It was a surreal day, a day I will never forget. It was a day when all my worst nightmares came true.....