September 11

On Tuesday, September 11 2001 I woke for school. Just another day. I packed my bag for school, and my bag for cross country. Probably showered and ate breakfast, gave my dad a hug and went out to school. Picked up my friend Jill for school and headed to Butler High school. That day was going to be a normal day, except I was exempt from a few morning classes to pass out the yearbooks from the previous school year. Feeling priviledged, I set up in the conference room. Little did I know, the world I knew was about to change forever.

A little before 9, Mr. Thompson came in with a very solemn face. He said we were under attack and it wasn't good. He was able to turn the tv on in that room (not all the tv's in our school were connected to cable, but that being a conference room, it was.) I couldn't believe what I saw. We were pretty glued to the TV for the next hour.

In that hour, I saw a plane went down in Somerset county. My heart started to race. My best friend Anne lived in Somerset county, was she ok, was her family ok? I needed to know. I wanted to call home and talk to my dad.... thankfully I was able to. I called my dad and he was able to assure me that plane went down in an empty field where no buildings were effected. Whew.

But what was going on? Who would do such a terrible thing to our nation?

I remember going to lunch that day and hearing kids joke about what happened, making fun of the pentagon, and the world trade center, hearing jokes like 'what are they trading there, world things?' I wish I had the courage to stop the jokes right then and there. How rude and ignorant those teens sounded. I may have laughed at a few of the jokes or the stupidity, but looking back now, we were all ignorant teens.

I read on facebook today, should 9/11 be a holiday. To our generation, it is a big deal, to our nation it is a big deal and we wont forget that day. But just like many days in our past, Pearl Harbor, V-Day, days from WWI and WWII that had significant impact on our nation. Will we remember 9/11 , or will we remember is less and less. I look at high school seniors right now, some were 9 or 10 when that day happened, will they really remember the impact of that day? It is up to us to remind them and to teach them what all that day meant.

I know I wont forget. I wont forget about the freedom I so greatly take for granted some days. I forget that people are fighting for our country still today, right now, and I need to be grateful for the freedom I have. The freedom I have is not free.

If you read this, thank a VET today, or a fireman or police office, someone who puts their life in danger on a daily basis to protect you!

Pass it on!!