Remembering Bonfire 10yrs ago


I am not real good about posting personal stuff on my blog but felt I needed to say something today. This is a tough day for a lot of people here in Aggieland. 10 years ago bonfire collapsed, leaving 12 students as casualties. I remember it like it was yesterday. The evening it happened I had went to North Gate (for those who are not Aggies it is a strip of bars next to campus). I drove by stack looking over to my left to see all the lights on, cranes running stacking logs and people working. The next morning my roommate woke me up to say that stack had fallen. We sat glued to the tv, watching and crying. OMG, I had just been by there a few hours ago. I went to work that morning and found out that I could go volunteer. I was a massage therapist at the time and they were allowing us to go work on the volunteers. I can’t describe how it felt walking on to the bonfire site. So eerie. There are so many words I could describe but probably should keep those to myself. I remember trying to hold back the tears as I worked on a fireman, bloody, dirty, worn out. I have so much respect to the fire and police departments who were out there for so many hours. What an emotional drain it was on so many of us there. The moments of silence we had so they could use instruments to listen and see if they could get any sounds from underneath the ruble. I was there when the last body was removed from the stack, I saw parents crying, I saw volunteers ready to collapse. I saw so many things that evening that will forever be with me. My husband was also there that night. At that time, we had probably met once or twice but were not even dating. He is a police officer and was there the same time as I. It is so emotional for us when we talk about it. We never saw each other that night but can remember a lot of the same things we saw that evening. I went to the candle light vigil they had a few nights later. There were so many flowers, pots (the hats that the students wear while working on bonfire), letters and mementos everywhere. So this is why this is an emotional day for me. I was there and I saw the hurt and emotion in so many people. I had only had the experience of one bonfire that burned before this. So I experienced the before and after of the 90 year old tradition. Texas A&M is built on tradition. I love all that it stands for. As I reflect on remembering bonfire, life is short. Remember the fallen 12. Pray that the family of those 12 have peace tonight. Live, Love and Gig’em! Whoop!

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Shannon Shines

Stephanie.. this broke my heart.. I even read it to my husband as I fought tears and a few sobs… I know I'm a month behind.. but God knew my prayers were coming for those families… Well written.. beautifully felt.. amazingly lived. Thank you for filling my heart with this much love for those families and students and you! xoxo love, Shannon

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