(The following was taken from my 9/11 tribute page released on the one year anniversary. I can't believe it's still up!)

---

What I Did That Day. (or, "Daddy, What was September 11th Like?")

6:30 am (Hawaii Strd. Time):

Since I didn't have classes that day, I was planning to spend the whole day (or at least the morning) doing my homework. That is, after sleeping for an extra two hours or so. About this time someone wakes up my sister for
school, usually my dad since my mom (at that time) was a nanny for the kids of a Naval couple (both of whom are
Commanders (that's a Lt. Colonel, or 0-5 in the other services) who live only a block and a half away.). Only this
time she was there about two hours before, since the husband (a submarine captain) was on [scheduled] deployment
anyway, and the wife, being and Exec. Officer of the communications station...well, you know what's going to happen,
and this story isn't about them, but me.

Anyway, it's 6:30, and I'm in a state of half-sleep and in the middle of a yiffy (don't even bother asking) dream
and my dad wakes up my sister with this piece of news, "Someone bombed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon." WTF???!!! Dream time (and any yiffy feelings) over. Time for CNN. Now fully awake, but not mentally, I saw, like the rest of you, on practically every TV station this surreal image of a passenger jet slamming into a
skyscraper. Dear readers, this was not the spectacular Hollywood explosions (which I love. Hey! I'm a GUY, sue me.) but a REAL ONE! No models on wires, CGI, primer cord, blue screen, or other SFX techniques. This is REAL,
and even though I tried, I was too distracted to do my homework. The whole day (and the next few weeks) will be spent watching the news, since that was the only thing on, and I'm an infamous news junkie anyway, just ask my uncle.

Evening:

Mom brought the kids over for pizza, which is not an easy task since I have more fingers on one hand than his entire palate, and it's not likely their mom will be home anytime soon. Now I ask you, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN TO A KINDERGARTNER AND A FOURTH GRADER WHAT AND WHY, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE SAME THING?

Around 9:00pm (give or take):

Chris (the mom) shows up to pick up the kids (in uniform BTW) and we offer her dinner. The first thing I ask her,
"The Pentagon? That should've been out strongest point." (Reflections of Pearl Harbor, which is on my island)

September 12th, the next day:

I'm in my Latin 201 class (which would explain the phrase seen above), and guess what? I'm the only fool who didn't finish his homework. Out of undeserved sympathy, the professor gives me credit for the day. Let's get real here, there should be no excuse for not doing your homework, even if terrorists want to start WWIII. So kiddies, forget this "touchy-feely" crap and DO YOUR HOMEWORK! I made no excuses for what I didn't do, but got lucky and got something I didn't deserve. So if I hear from your teacher that "I didn't do my homework 'cause EK Goya didn't do his, 'cause of terrorists," I will personally come over to your house, kick your sorry ass, and you will write a million times "I will not make excuses for not doing my homework" by hand. (It's easy to cut and paste on computer)

Epilogue:

For my grandparents, Pearl Harbor. For my generation, this.

-EK Goya

---

To see more, including 9/11 related art, [the very few] responses, and a animated gif of Osama's head exploding, go here:

http://members.vclart.net/EK-Goya/911.html