[Robby O]

I had thought about posting about this earlier, but the thoughts I had I felt were inappropriate, as in "How is this going to affect the robotics season". It's very wierd watching this. It doesnt seem real. Almost as if I had turned on the TV to some movie. Some kind of new scare-film that everyone is in on, like that whole thing in the 50's with the alien radio broadcast that everyone thought was real.

I watch the video playback on the news and watch as thousands of lives are lost in an instant, as buildings collapse and explosions happen and I have this incredible urge to cry, my heart going out to all of those victims, some of whom I may possibly know or have known. And yet I cant. I cant cry. I cant force the tears, but they are there, on the edge. Ready to streak my face, being held back by years of being desensitized through television and film.

Look at all the recent films that came out dealing with terrorism in america, Arlington Road, Swordfish, even going back to Die Hard, almost getting us used to the idea, so that when it happens, it wouldnt seem real. As though someone clicked a couple of buttons and generated these special effects. But no, it's real, it's very real, and it's something our generation has not yet had to experience at this level. We've all seen the WW video of other contries being demolished, but we dont think about it being us, we think about ourselves being safe. In some ways we are more so than other countries. And yet we couldnt defend against what has now happened.

Right now I sit awake, scared awake. I'm listening as a plane flys overhead. Or at least what sounds like a plane. The paranoia of a potential war has me thinking a lot about my future plans, and what lies in store for them. I am a thinker, an entertainer. I could never pick up a gun and point it at another human being. It's not my nature or how I was brought up, to fight THAT way (though I am one to stand up for what I believe is right, but with discussions, debates, and ideas). If I were drafted I would be scared out of my mind.

As soon as I found out about this, I called my Air Force recruiter to find out more from there. If there was any department I would join should war be declared, it would be the Air Force. They put you through a few weeks of boot camp and then send you to school to work a job from them. With high enough test scores (which I already got from taking the ASVAB, a navy test (I think) in high school) you can get a computer job. Message decoding and encrypting I would imagine. I would rather use my head to help the war than brute force - I am not a brute force fighter.

So there you go. Those are my thoughts and opinions. Call me paranoid, but these thoughts are now a potential reality. Before this I was already afraid to fly, now forget it. All my trips from this point on will be road trips. Some people on this board probably think that I am just letting my fear run my life. Perhaps it is true. Perhaps I do think much as far as potentially loosing my life goes. But thanks to this event, there may now be many across america now thinking the same. What do we do now? Revert back to a 1950's type time with bomb shelters and sirens?

We shall see in the upcoming long days, weeks, and months where this goes. I can only hope things go up from here. My prayers and heart goes out to all of the victims of this horrendous act of terrorism, and thier family and friends.