Today we remember the horrible tragedy that happened in downtown Oklahoma City. I was 15 at the time, I'm 30 now. It literally was half my life ago. Wow. Isn't weird how sometimes, no matter how long ago it's been, you can remember every detail of that day?
I was in 9th grade at Christian Heritage Academy in Del City. I remember I was wearing a black pleated skirt with a black turtleneck and a red and grey argyle sweater over it. I was so excited because my mom was checking me out of school early so I could go get my braces off. I was in Mrs. Wigley's typing class (ha! typing class, like as in, typewriters, not computers.) I remember hearing the bomb go off and one of my classmates, Paul Owens, making some comment about not knowing it was going to rain (we thought it was loud thunder.) We were having a special week of chapel that week (missionaries or something) and I remember on the way they had us all go to our homeroom class instead. A few kids were called to the office, I remember Jon Echols was one of them. His mom worked downtown. Then, a little bit later they came over the intercom and told us what had happened. We still didn't know the magnitude of the bombing, but we knew it was something awful. I remember being in chapel and our office secretary, Mrs. Young, coming and pulling me out. I saw my mom standing behind the chapel doors and thought she had just decided to come get me earlier than planned. Once we were out in the hall I realized she was crying. Her cousin's wife, Ellen, worked in the Murrah building. Miraculously, she survived. The woman training right beside her did not. I remember going to see Ellen in the hospital. Her black hair was gray from all the debris. There were tubes in her throat helping her breathe and everytime she'd breathe, debris would come out. It was one of the saddest things I've ever seen.
As we mark the 15th anniversary of the bombing I hope everyone takes time to stop and remember those who's lives were lost and celebrate those who survived.
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