My Memory

A tragedy of the times 
While I do not remember exactly where I was when I learned about the explosion, I remember receiving most of my information from social media. Social media played an influential role in shaping memory, as news media and individuals utilized YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other sites to deliver the memory to others. Here is a snippet of the posts that circulated during the time, as well as the posts of support that came in the months following.
 

Impact and aftermath
The explosion changed the landscape dramatically. Swipe the slider left and right to see the impact on the land.
 

Lives and stories
A total of 14 people died in the tragedy, but each individual had a story. Click through the slideshow below to see each individual's story. 
 
Hope
My family and I traveled to Waco to see the Dr. Pepper Museum this past summer. On our way home, we decided to stop by the famous kolache bakery, Czech Stop, in West. We asked the cashier where the explosion happened, and she gave us driving directions to get there.

"You won't see it if you didn't know it happened," she told us. "But you'll see the empty land."

Sure enough, we saw an empty field where West High School used to be. I took a photo of the barren landscape, where nothing but the high school's sign stood.

And yet, somehow, the absence of "what once was there" was moving to me. It reminded me of how much we take for granted--how, in an instant, everything we know and love can be gone.

But in spite of this, there is hope and rebuilding. Through the process of putting together this new media memorial, I was inspired to compose a song in honor of West. Though the song was inspired by that specific event, I believe the message relates to everyone.

On this ground we remember
Where people used to stand
I wish we could've stayed together but life's not in our hands

All the faces and the stories
Lives that cannot be the same
In the madness, search for answers and who there is to blame

But there is hope inside my soul
It turns the fire to hearts of gold
And through the blaze, my eyes can see right through the blinding light
And in the end, the smoke will fade, and I will know for sure
That there is hope
And I have nothing left to fear anymore