Mike and Mike

I woke up early this morning and without the use of the alarm clock. For those that know me, that is a shocking statement in and of itself. I am not a morning person. No fewer than 6 alarms go off at different times of the morning in an attempt to make me get out of bed. One of my alarms is set to ESPN 1000 and the Mike and Mike show. Since I was awake, I turned off the alarms and turned on the TV to ESPN2, which broadcasts a TV version of the show. I stared at the TV listening to Mike and Mike talk sports. An hour into my vegging (and at the point when I should have been getting up and getting into the shower), they started talking about 9/11 and how they remember being on air. And it was surreal, because they were the ones that broke the news to me 5 years ago.

I was in my car (doing the horrible commute that plagued me for 4 years -- though, this was only the second week of it and I didn't know how much it would suck) and had stopped at the Starbucks for coffee. I came out with caffeinated goodness and heard them mention a plane hitting the WTC. It was almost laughable and blase at the time. I pictured a bad prop plane moment out of a Godzilla movie and mentally moved on. I remember Mike Greenberg saying that they were going to keep us posted, but that since this was a sports station, they were going to keep it on the topic at hand - I believe it was pennant races and early football games.

Of course, this was around 8 AM CST. Within the next hour, all hell had broken loose and our lives had been forever changed. I remember the sensitivity and compassion that fueled Mike and Mike's broadcast, after the second plane hit and the Pentagon news broke. I remember ESPN turning it over to ABC for full coverage.

It's strange that five years later, I tuned into the same broadcast and to the same broadcasters as I did that day. To hear their voices and their recollections, which completely mirrored mine, was comforting. It reminded me that even with the most horrific tragedies, life slowly moves forward.

To all those whom lost their life that day, you will always be in our thoughts and prayers and hearts and souls. God Bless You. God Bless America.