September 11th is one of those events when you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when it happened. It was a time when many Americans were confused, fearful and incredibly angry. I was thirteen and in eighth grade homeroom when the principal of Benton Middle School announced that the World Trade Center had been hit and we observed a moment of silence. I went through the day completely unaware of the severity of what had just happened. My teachers never turned on the television and outside of few solemn words at the beginning of class, continued with normal instruction. There were whispers in the hallway between class changes that the towers had collapsed and that the Pentagon had been attacked but none of it was confirmed…I had no idea.
It wasn’t until I got home and flipped on the television that I saw what had happened. Various stations showed the same profanity laced clip of the second plane hitting the tower, followed by the clips of those who jumped to their deaths and concluding with the collapse of both towers. It was then that I understood – as well as a thirteen year old could – the severity of the attacks on 9/11. It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that I saw the Pentagon. I remember being nervous that morning because I knew we were going to pass it on the way to church and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to look away, and I couldn’t. The image of that charred, dark, gaping hole will forever be etched in my memory.
I am one of the lucky ones. I didn’t have any friends or relatives die in these attacks. I also don’t have any friends or family who have died while fighting the organization responsible for them either. But there are many who perished that day, and many who continue to perish while away at war. Today, at least for me, isn’t about politicizing, finger pointing or arguing. It’s about honoring those who perished. It’s about remembering those abroad who fight for the freedoms that quite frankly, many of us take for granted every day. It’s about admiring the American spirit and the resiliency that allowed us to get to where we are today. I’ll never forget the events that occurred on this day eleven years ago and I’ll never take for granted those brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Untitled. 