The Collapse Heard 'Round the World

The I-35W bridge is located within steps of my apartment so it's been a surreal, chaotic scene that began with the falling of the bridge, hordes of gawkers (rubbernecks, the term my friend prefers), and cops and media up the wazoo. I received a number of concerned calls throughout Wednesday evening and sighs of relief on the receiving end as I picked up my phone. Being in the heart of the action makes it that much more real.

The cops have the road outside my apartment blocked off so yesterday morning, I had to wait for a press conference to finish before I could leave for work. It's certainly crazy that every time I go home, I have to show proof I live there.

However, nothing struck home and left me as speechless as when when I found out a friend of mine (moreso an acquaintance -- childhood friend of my close friend) hasn't heard from her mom or brother since Wednesday afternoon. The cell phone company picked up her mom's cell signal near the bridge at 5:51 pm (collapse occurred at 6:05 pm) on Wednesday and no one has heard or seen from her or her brother since the collapse. The authorities told her there may be a pocket with trapped survivors, but with no mention of this "pocket" in the media, you have to wonder if they only meant to provide the families with hope. At this point, I think the hardest thing of all must be the "waiting" with a multitude of unanswered questions.

Frankly, I'm not good with words in times of tragedy -- there's a disconnect between my head and emotions in cases of grief and death that the act of writing fails to resolve. I can only hope there still remains a pocket of hope for my friend's family and my heart goes out to them, the victims, and grieving families' during this tumultuous time.