Where were you on Sept. 11th, 2001? I was a bright-eyed freshman at UGA headed to math class wearing my GEORGIA shirt and black running shorts on an early fall day. I was late for the 9:00 a.m. class...as usual. As I walked through the lobby of Brumby Hall, people were gathered around the big screen. "Oh my gosh, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center..." I heard as I briefly stopped to look. I watched for a second--confused and heart broken for the people on the plane--it didn't even occur to me at that instant all the thousands of people inside the building. My brain hadn't been wired to think in such terrible terms until that fateful day. Then, I scurried on to class wondering how something so horrendous could have happened...didn't they have air traffic control for this reason??
I made it to class...late..and the professor started teaching like any other day. Not sure that he even knew about what was going on. About thirty to forty five minutes into class, a frazzled lady entered the room, pulled him aside. He returned after a brief conversation looking dumbfounded. "America has been attacked by terrorists...they believe they targeted the World Trade Center. Class is canceled. Return to your dorms and apartments." It all sunk in like a blow to the stomach. The people on board the plane were dead. So were the people in the building...oh my gosh...how did this happen? And that's how I first came to know the word "terrorist" outside of a text book or a news clip from some far away land. Terrorists were something that existed in other war torn countries...not ours. But that day changed everything for us as AMERICANS. The rest of the day was a blur. We made American flags and hung them in our dorm windows and stayed glued to the TV. The death toll kept rising as the carnage and smoke filled the NYC skyline--the city that never sleeps had been turned into a war zone. My mom had traveled to California to visit her mom several days earlier. I called her and gave her strict instructions to not board any plane until this was "figured out." The truth of the matter is, that day will never be figured out. It was barbaric brutality at it's pinnacle. How could this happen to America?
In the days that followed names, pictures, stories filled the TV screen. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, friends--there were now faces to put with the names who had perished. They were ordinary people who loved life and woke up that day only to have it taken away. Their families left to pick up the pieces. There were stories of heroism, bravery, and patriotism at it's finest. We were a country angry, but united as one. So many emotions. This is what I remember from experiencing it from afar. I cannot imagine the angst and utter devastation of all those directly effected. One of my dear friends, Lauren, lost her Uncle that day. His name was Thomas Hobbs and he was a wonderful family man who is still missed everyday. I've been keeping her family in my prayers as I do each year, especially at this time. Sadly, there are many stories like his. We must never forget.
Then, followed a war about freedom and the right to be safe in our homeland. You may be for or against the war, I'm not here to have a political debate with you. I'm writing to remember all that were lost on 9/11 and in the war against terrorism. I writing to thank the soldiers that serve selflessly to keep us safe (especially Christopher S....we pray for your safety DAILY and NIGHTLY...love you Linds). I am saying thank you for our FREEDOM...and every American should too regardless of your political stance.
Things changed for the USA on 9/11. We see the world differently...especially we Milleniums. We had never seen things like this...we had a general sense of safety until then. But, that day changed everything for us. I think about all the lives lost...nearly 3,000...that was 6 times my graduating class of 500...this doesn't even account for the service men and women who have given their lives for our freedom since. We think about things like terrorist attacks and terrorist alerts. We think about plane rides being safe. We think about those going to foreign, desolate lands to protect our freedom. We wonder how terrorists could hate us so much to do this to us. In the end, all we have is faith, hope, and love and we pray that God continues to give us strength as a nation and that our troops begin to come home safely (for good) and that nothing this terrible happens again.
How do you explain terrorism to a child...I've tried as a teacher. It's a tough concept to convey because a child cannot fathom why someone would want to destroy another human being. But this is very much a part of the vocabulary of today's child--sadly. It will be a part of Ella's world once she gets old enough to know that the world isn't purely good. We can educate our youth about the cold hard truth, but we can teach them too. We can teach them kindness, compassion, how to be patriotic, appreciative, passionate, peaceful, and hopeful...how to be a GRATEFUL AMERICAN. We can't change terrorists...but we can't let them change us as a nation and what we stand for. We are blessed to live in this wonderful country and are blessed to be free. Today, we remember all that was lost on 9/11. We pray for the families and soldiers, we pray for hope, and we pray for PEACE.
that was beautiful:)
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