EVERYONE OVER THE AGE OF 25-ISH HAS A STORY OF WHERE THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY WERE FEELING ON THAT FATEFUL TUESDAY MORNING….PERSONALLY, I CAN CLOSE MY EYES AND SEE THE 2ND PLANE HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001 VIVIDLY AS I WATCHED THROUGH MY TV…IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT 22 YEARS HAS PASSED. AFTER THE ATTACKS I WENT ON A QUEST TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT LED ME TO JOIN THE PEORIA JAYCEES. IN NEW YORK CITY, A YOUNG MAN ON HIS WAY TO HIS INTERN JOB AT THE CARTOON NETWORK WITNESSED THE ATROCITY FROM THE MANHATTAN FERRY AND REALIZED, AS MANY OF US DID, THAT LIFE IS WAY TOO SHORT NOT TO FOLLOW HIS DREAM…HIS DREAM WAS TO START A BAND…SO HE DID JUST THAT, ALONG WITH HIS BROTHER AND A COUPLE OTHER GUYS, GERARD WAY FOUNDED THE BAND MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, MCR WERE SIGNED WITHIN THE YEAR AND RELEASED THEIR FIRST ALBUM THE NEXT YEAR…INFLUENCED BY THE BANDS OF THEIR YOUTH, INCLUDING IRON MAIDEN, THE MISFITS, DANZIG, BLACK FLAG, AND THE SMITHS, WAY ORIGINALLY WANTED TO BE A GUITARIST AS A KID, BUT WASN’T SO GREAT AT IT AND EVEN GOT KICKED OUT OF BAND DUE TO HIS LACK OF GUITAR SKILL WHEN IN HIGH SCHOOL AND INSTEAD CHOSE TO CONCENTRATE ON HIS ART CAREER…AND THAT CAREER IS PRETTY STELLAR TOO, HE DIDN’T ABANDON IT WHEN MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE STARTED…HIS COMIC UMBRELLA ACADEMY WAS EVEN ADAPTED AS A TV SERIES FOR NETFLIX…AND IT IS PRETTY SOLID TOO WITH A KILLER SOUNDTRACK! LIFE IS SHORT AND THE TERRORIST ACTS OF 9/11 DROVE THAT HOME FOR SO MANY…LET’S REMEMBER THAT AND ROCK OUT WITH MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE’S SINGLE THAT DESCRIBES THE FEELING MOST HAD 22 YEARS AGO TODAY…”I’M NOT OK” …IT’S ROXY’S ROCK REWIND ON 105.7 THE X …A REMINDER…BE KIND TO EACH OTHER 🙂
